A Journey Of Fate
by darkwings13
Summary: Talim, on her journey to restore balance meets Raphael and saves him.She travels with him and wishes to purify the evil aura inside him. Raphael, after being saved by Talim, continues on his journey confused on his goals. Talim X Raphael
1. Prologue

Disclaimer:

Darkwings13:I don't own the characters of Soul Calibur... I wish I do though...

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><p>The Last Priestess Of The Wind: Talim<p>

A young and small priestess with dark ebony hair and innocent brown eyes. Hailing from a unique hidden village in the East, she possess the ability to read and manipulate the wind. Unlike the younger generation, her talents and powers far exceeded the expectations of the elders. With her father as the village shaman, and her grandmother who was the head elder, they trained her in the ways of the wind from a young age. Following her village's traditions, she uses the ancient battle style known as the Wind Dance and is equipped with a pair of sharp and decorative dual tonfa-styled blades. Used most often in ceremonial dances, the battle style also serves well in combat for its unique ability to inflict damage from all sides, evasive steps and graceful leaps that holds the opponent in enraptured wonderment before the blades descend upon them with righteous fury.

Her story began... years ago when a catastrophe known as The Evil Seed rained down upon the world. A tainted wind full of evil energy passed through her; causing her to lose consciousness for a very long time. When she awoken from her coma, she was slightly different from her old childish self. What she saw when that evil wind passed through her, she has kept deep in her heart and she prayed constantly for the world and the people out there. When a stranger managed to intrude upon the quiescent village, he brought with him a pulsing red shard that immediately alerted all that were in the village. Talim quickly recognized the chaotic energy that had passed through her all those years ago. So she asked for permission to leave and return the world back to normal.

She now travels the world in search of Soul Edge fragments to purify since she believes that it was the cause of such abnormalities in this world. Her one simple wish is to restore the nature of balance back to the world by destroying Soul Edge and by healing those who are infected with its vile powers.

At a distant watermill village, she encountered a young man named Yun-Seong, who was determined on obtaining Soul Edge to save his homeland. She was currently tending to a sick young boy who was infected and after some time, she became friends with the Korean who supported her efforts and determination to help heal the poor child. When she finally managed to heal the boy who was ill from the evil energy running rampage through his body, she had a vision of a beautiful blue sword that beckoned to her soul. Her heart grew hot as she looked to the West and she knew that something or someone was waiting for her...

At first she believed that Soul Calibur, which kept appearing to her in her dreams, was a pure weapon but now she senses that it's the same as Soul Edge and is a threat to the world. After Yun-Seong left her to run away from his kinswoman, she also parted ways with Seong-Mina who was trying to bring Yun-Seong back home. She worries about Yun-Seong, who wants to obtain Soul Edge to protect his homeland but she has faith that in the end he'll make the right decision. Looking up one night, she beheld countless lights shooting into the west. It was a beautiful sight but she sensed the evil behind them. Soul Edge was growing in power and time was running short...The wind and stars were crying as she continued on her journey.

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><p>The Lord of the Night: Raphael Sorel<p>

A handsome fallen French noble with a prideful and arrogant attitude. His mocking smiles and cold red eyes looked down on others and the only one he cared about in this world was Amy for his whole being was dedicated to making his beloved adoptive daughter happy. Calm and collected, he's able to make quick decisions in drastic moments and his strategies and courtly manners led to his family's quick ascension at court. Wielding a elegant rapier named Flambert, he learned the battle arts that has long been passed down in his family line; La Rapière des Sorel. With quick powerful thrusts, swift slashes, graceful footwork and unique counter moves, he was an agile and powerful swordsman. Combined with the otherworldly power he gained from Soul Edge and the unholy reputation of his lands, he is greatly feared by many.

His life first changed during the Evil Seed incident. A high ranking noble who was an important ally of his family was driven insane by the vile energy and attacked Raphael. With no choice but to defend himself, Raphael slew the noble and was condemned by the law as well as his family. Betrayed and devastated, he cut off all ties from them. The only thing he took before he escaped was his family's heirloom, the sturdy and regal rapier, Flambert. Running away, he was nearly caught but a young orphan hid him from the soldiers and in gratitude, he adopted her and swore on his soul that he would do whatever it takes to protect her.

They eventually took one of his friend's manor and there, Raphael learned about Soul Edge. With that sword, he could get rid of those annoying nobles and regain power to secure a better future for his beloved daughter. He immediately left on the journey and at the end, he faced Nightmare who was the wielder of the Supreme sword of chaos called... Soul Edge. The battle ended badly and Raphael nearly died but in the end, he survived and returned home. Sadly, his wounds became infected and the evil energy spread to Amy when she nursed her ailing father back to health.

After he and his daughter were infected by the power of Soul Edge, they were chased away by the fearful villagers who were frightened of their red eyes and lust for blood. His view on the world darkened and he loathed all that lived in it. Rejection... discrimination... hate... this world was so ugly and hideous. He and Amy weren't the monsters... they were. His lips curled into a wicked snarl and he continued looking for a new home with his daughter, loyally following beside him.

As he settled down in a castle in Wallachia, he began to formulate a plan to make a new world for his daughter Amy to belong and be happy. Without remorse, he began infecting people with the same symptoms as them and controlled their minds. However, when someone began healing the infected population with an object known as a holy stone, Raphael plan's was threatened and he concluded that there must be a greater power than Soul Edge. After vanishing for awhile to find information, he found out about a tribe called "the guardians of the spirit sword" that has knowledge of the Soul Calibur, a sword that can stand up to Soul Edge.

Determined to obtain this sword and create their new world with it at all cost, Raphael looked heavenward, up at the night sky. Countless lights darted across his vision and vanished over Ostrheinsburg. The series of lights were proof that Soul Edge was reviving. If Soul Calibur was once again fated to stop it then it would inevitably appear there at that cursed castle. With a mad laugh, he looked up at the stars. Amy was the moon and any stars that dared shined brighter than her must be extingniushed...

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><p>Darkwings13:A story about two very different people who meet under the stars of fate. Like the sun and moon, will they be able to co-exist and reach a balance? But taken in that context, can they never be together since they're so different? Read on and contemplate about what it means to overcome hardships and appreciate the hidden sorrows and joys in life.<p>

*Some of the information was from their Soul Calibur 4 chain of souls profile at the end. While playing the game, I noticed that they both saw this scene and I remembered that they both had a destined battle in soul calibur 3 so that's why I was inspired to write this story. I thought that if Talim ever met Raphael she would attempt to help him and probably try to convince him that soul calibur was bad (same thing she did to Yun Seong). Raphael would probably be baffled by her since he probably thinks that everyone in this world are selfish and manipulative.


	2. A Chilling Encounter

It was a desolate place...Mountains of frigid ice glared down coldly at her while the distant stars shone with a vacant light in the dark blue skies. A brisk wind nudged her as Talim continued trudging through the snow. Twice she almost fell but she managed to regain her balance at the last second and she sighed in relief. Her white and warm fur coat offered her a decent amount of protection from the cold but her feet were starting to turn blue and she bit her lip worriedly. She shook her head at the loss of the boots she had bought but she did not regret giving them away to a younger girl who lived in the nearby town she had passed by. She was more concerned about the strange death that had happened a day ago though...The villagers told her that a lovely woman had been completely drained of blood and there was a strange wind around the poor lady's body. After praying for her soul, Talim had moved on with a heavy heart.

As her breath came out in white mists, she wished Yun-Seong was here with her for she really missed him... She treasured his cheerful attitude and his enthusiasm and when she was with him, she felt more confident and she knew that they were very good friends. Sometimes she wondered if they could be more than friends but she doubted that anything besides Soul Edge was occupying his mind. Looking up at the heavens she sighed once more. "Where ever you are Yun-Seong, please stay safe". And with that small wish, she continued trudging her way through the snow.

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><p>"Well? Will you join me?" A victorious grin flashed across his handsome face as Raphael looked at his three newest minions. Of course they would join him... as if they had any choice. A cold wind swept his blonde hair to one side and he thought he smelled something in the air but he quickly dismissed it. There was a town nearby so it was not unusual for him to notice the smell of the living.<p>

He returned his attention to his minions as the three guardians of the spirit sword knelt quickly in submission and answered "Yes master".

Marienbard, Auguste and Jacqueline were under his power now. They would tell him everything he needed to know about Soul Calibur and then follow him into battle for it. It was rather foolish of him to have gone alone and search for Soul Edge in the past. For that mistake he and his beloved Amy had to pay a terrible price. He vowed that he would never let Amy suffer anymore and yet it was his fault that they were no longer human.

Ever since then, he's felt immeasurable guilt and deep in his heart, he knew that the only way to correct his mistake was to make their new world as fast as possible. A world where no one would dare shun them. He and Amy would be secure with power and nothing will ruin their happiness ever again. Anything that got in his way would be destroyed quickly and mercilessly. "Now, tell me all you know about Soul Calibur" said Raphael, looking down at new servants.

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><p>She had been walking for awhile now and sometimes when she felt ready to give up the wind would pick up and encourage her to keep going. As the wind priestess, her faith in the wind's judgement was strong so she kept pressing forward when all of a sudden she felt something. "What is the presence I'm feeling… it's similar to Soul Edge but it also feels like a sickness." And then it hit her. The aura she was sensing was very similar to the evil aura that infected the young boy at the watermill village whom she cured. However, this aura she's feeling is much stronger and in a way it's much more sinister. As well, the young boy would've died had she not healed him but this evil aura is doesn't seem to be draining its host vitality.<p>

Closing her eyes and calling on the powers of the wind, she tried to focus on the aura. After a few minutes, she distinguished three more presence that was also infected with the same evil aura. However, they seem to be weaker and different from the more noticeable one. "Is this why the wind sent me here? To heal these people?" Talim wondered quietly. Her soft pink lips were pressed into a worried frown and she blinked up at the stars with her dark brown eyes.

The wind answered her with a strong breeze flowing north. And with that sign, Talim readied her elbow blades and advance toward her fate. Her hood fell back and underneath it, a lovely white and green hat sat on her head and the bells attached to it swayed in the wind. As she walked, she wondered what could possibly be waiting up ahead for her.

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><p>"So from what you've told me, I would say it's safe to assume that Soul Calibur has the power to create my new world then?"<p>

Marienbard looked at him with her dark yellow eyes and obediently bowed her head. "Yes master".

"Excellent, we shall head out at once and-" what Raphael was about to say was cut off when he noticed a small fur wrapped figure approaching from a few feet away. "Who could be out here in this barren land? Was it Amy? Did she follow him all the way here? No, the figure looked about the same size as Amy but he would recognize her presence immediately. This was not Amy, which meant he could hardly care about killing that fool right now. "Ready your weapons minions, and take care of the fool that's coming this way," Raphael ordered coldly. Needless to say his soul was even colder than the ice he was standing on and his minions drew their weapons...

As the figure approached, he could finally see that it was a young girl and in her hands, she held two unusual looking weapons. As she came closer, he smirked and adjusted his black coat. "Well now... what do we have here? What are you doing out here so late little one?"

Talim flinched at the mocking voice and replied hesitantly, "I'm... I'm here to help you. Please don't worry, I'm not here to hurt you sir."

Raphael lips curled upward in an amused smile. "You think you can hurt me? Are you trying to humor me?"

The priestess stammered, "N-no. That's no-not what I meant. It's just that, I can sense you're very sick and I want to help you... I'm a priestess and my deity can heal you." She clasped her hand together quickly and looked at him with big brown eyes that was full of compassion.

He looked at the small girl and saw the honesty on her face; but there was a strange presence around her that was making him feel rather uncomfortable and it was starting to irk him. "I don't need your help and in fact, I think it'd be best if you leave before I lose my patience with you. Luckily for you, I am in a very pleasant mood right now so if you leave, I will spare your life." His minions were behind him and Raphael gestured to them. "They've just been malfested so they're feeling rather thirsty right now. Would you like to stay and offer them a drink my dear?"

"So that's why there's a stagnant wind around you," replied Talim softly. She adjusted her stance and looked at him sorrowfully. "You... you malfested them?"

"What of it?" Raphael replied coldly. "Are you here to judge me? Who do you think you are?"

She felt the wind tug at her gently and said, "I... I understand that the evil aura inside you is responsible for what you've done. So I bear no ill will against what you've done sir. Now please, let me use the wind to heal all of you. I promise you'll-"

"You're starting to annoy me," Raphael interrupted her smoothly. "Leave now or die. Your choice..."

Hearing his frosty voice, Talim shivered but she stood her ground and slowly, snow swirled around them as the wind danced. Her dark pigtails flowed behind her and Talim gripped her elbow blades tightly. "Then I'm sorry for what must follow next. I did not want to do this, but you leave me no choice. Wind!"

A flurry of snow flew towards them but this only amused Raphael and he was intrigued by her ability to control this element. "Hahahaha, so you're a witch?"He shielded his face from the snow with his arm and within the next second, he raised his rapier just as she rushed forward and thrust at him weakly with her weapons.

"No! I'm a priestess," protested Talim as she tried to disable him without seriously injuring him.

"Capture her my minions!" ordered Raphael as he pushed her back and at his command, Marienbard, Jacqueline, and Auguste charged forward.

As a giant scythe wielded by Marienbard swung down toward her, Talim sidestepped it and she slammed her right elbow blade against the green haired woman face; efficiently stunning her. Seizing the chance, Talim leaped away only to return with a strong panyan thrust that knocked the girl unconscious and Marienbard fell into the snow without another sound.

"Please forgive me," whispered the priestess as she quickly returned to the battle against her two other opponents as the man wearing the wolf mask let out a battle cry and charged toward her. Swinging his sword in a wide arc, he attempted to cut her in half. Talim quickly guard impacted the weapon and retaliated with a sweeping kick knocking the man flat on his back.

"Ahhh!" cried Talim as the other pink haired girl sliced her shoulders from behind with a pair of sharp looking daggers. Thankfully it wasn't too deep because the fur took most of the damage, but she really didn't want to get any more injured than this. "I'll have to knock them out to heal them then" she thought to herself quickly as she prepared a counter. Her eyes spark with inner strength as she put as much force as she could into her arms and elbowed the girl deep in the stomach. The girl let out of a grunt of pain and tried to kick Talim away but by grabbing her leg midway, Talim dragged her and unleashed some quick hand combos to the head and her second opponent also fell.

"Going somewhere?"

Talim bit her lips in pain as Auguste swung his sword at her and blood dripped down her right arm. She quickly danced out of the way and back flipped out of range. Drawing her hand back, she hurled her right elbow blade as fast as she could at him. With her left hand, she raised it to the sky and cried, "Wind! Please aid me!" Manipulating the element, she combined her spinning blade with a gust of icy air and the powerful attack hit Auguste; knocking him back by ten feet and rendering him unconscious.

Damn her... Raphael's lips were thin as he quickly twirl his rapier and leaped upon her. She nimbly dodged the blow and he said frostily, "Insolent child, I'll make sure you regret crossing me." He neatly stepped from side to side as their weapons clashed and he smiled when a crimson patch appeared on the right arm of her coat as he cut her. "You won't win ma petite. Surrender and perhaps I'll make you Amy's pet!" He laughed with sadistic delight as they danced through the snow and listened to the music of their weapons as it clashed against each other.

Talim's eyes darted over to her fallen weapon that peeked out from the snow. Aware of her disadvantage, she knew that she must get to it soon before she suffered any more injuries."Ah!" She cried out when his kick connected with her stomach and sent her rolling through the snow. But to her luck, she landed right beside her weapon. Hastily grabbing it, she got back up and swiftly leaped at his feet and cut his boots. Following up with her previous attack, she spinned and landed more than five cuts on him. Seeing the snarl on his face, she immediately leapt away and said pleadingly, "Please stop this... It doesn't have to be like this. I don't want to see anymore people get hurt..."

He looked at her with evident surprise before letting a frown cross his handsome face. "What are you saying?"

She looked at him sadly. "I just want to help you. You're very sick and I'm... I'm worried about you. I don't know what will happen if you continue like this. Please, just let me heal you." To show her sincerity, she slowly lowered her elbow blades.

Raphael's mouth parted open in stunned silence. Foolish... but at the same time, her strange personality intrigued him and he felt slightly shaken by her words. But then he remembered that Amy was waiting for him... and for the new world he promised her. This priestess, was nothing more than another hassle on his journey. But she would certainly be useful... With a fake smile, he gave her a gentlemanly bow. "As you wish my dear."

She smiled in relief but then Raphael vanished in a cloud of ominous red mist. Suddenly, a strong pair of hands wrapped around her and sharp teeth pierced the flesh on neck as he ripped off her necklace. The last thing she saw before fainting was a pair of crimson red eyes before the world grew dark. "You can now be my minion." That was the last thing she heard as she collapsed and fell down in the white snow. The blood that was still flowing from her right arm began to dye it a bright red and Raphael kneeled down and took out his handkerchief from his pocket. He tied it around her slim arm to staunch the blood and when he finished, he smirked. "Hmmm, you shall be a very useful servant...priestess."

Tapping his chin, he was wondering what he should do next. Wait for his useless slaves to wake up? What a waste of time that would be. The clinking of metal made him look down at the necklace in his hand. Raising it up, he looked at the moon and sun symbols with slight curiosity. It was certainly a pretty trinket, he'll give her that. Maybe Amy would like it? Suddenly, a flash of pain ripped through his body and he dropped to one knee and onto the cold ground. "What's happening?"

He clutched his stomach as he was seized by another painful convulsion. Nausea seized him and he felt like throwing up as he put a hand to his mouth and coughed. Next thing he knew, he coughed up a mouthful of blood. Her blood...Was there something in her blood that was making his body reject it? Looking at the girl lying beside him, he cursed her as everything dimmed and he fainted. Silently, snow drifted downward and rested on the moon and sun symbol of her medallion as the necklace fell out if his hand and landed between them.

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><p><em>And so the story begins... as the sun and moon meet.<em>


	3. To Be Saved Once More

"Ahhh, my head hurts. Where am I?" thought Talim blinking up at the bright sun shining down on her. And then it all came back, the battle, the man, the bite and she sat up so fast that it made her feel like the world was spinning. After taking a few deep breaths, she looked around and to her surprise; the man was laying right beside her. "Sir, are you alright? Can you hear me? Hello?" But no matter hard she shook him, he remained unresponsive. Just then, she noticed her necklace and picked it up. Gingerly, she felt the marks on her neck and cringed. Did he really just... bite her? She winced slightly as she put on her necklace and hoped that the wound wouldn't get infected. But what was she going to do now?

Looking around she saw that the warriors she defeated were still unconscious as well. Although tired, sore and bruised, Talim felt that it was urgent that she healed them quickly and be on her way. There was something wrong with the wind; it was if something had tainted it and she felt very uneasy. Getting up, she gathered the three fallen warriors she defeated and laid them side by side. It would've been a process that she could've handle quite easy had she not been wounded so it took longer than expected. She could tell the three were only recently infected so curing them wouldn't be too difficult in her current state. The man who bit her was another matter; for even at full health she was unsure if she had the power to purify the evil within him. But that was a matter to be dealt with at a later time...

Turning back to the three laying before her, she murmured "Oh wind... I beg of you. Return these poor souls back to their original state and heal them of their pain." Raising her hands up to the sky she whispered more words that were only understood by the element she was praying to. And as she chanted, a pure breeze circled the tainted warriors and lifted away their sickness in a gentle vortex of sparkling white snow. Dropping to her feet, she shook her head dizzily as the wind died down and snow drifted back down. Minutes passed until a soft voice made her look up.

"You... were the one who helped us?" asked Marienbard, offering her hand to Talim.

Talim nodded and accepted the gesture. As she stood up, she asked quietly, "What happened? How did you-"

"Him," said Auguste harshly, pointing at Raphael who was still unconscious. "We... had something we needed to do. It was an order from our tribe but unfortunately, we were attacked by this monster before we could fulfil our duty. After that... I do not remember what happened very clearly."

Quickly walking over to Raphael's side, Talim bent down and laid a hand on his back gently. Slowly, she turned and looked at the three with sorrowful eyes. "Please forgive him... He's very sick and I'm sure he's not like this. I will take him away from here and heal him; I give you my words that he will not hurt anyone around here..."

"Are you sure that's good idea? Travelling with a dangerous man like him?" asked Jacqueline.

Her shrill voice made Talim flinch but she smiled back at the three and reassured them that she would be fine. "But... I can use some help in moving him. Please?"

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><p>Rubbing her hands together for warmth, Talim adjusted the fur coat on the unconscious man and when she was sure he looked comfortable, she crawled over to the blazing fire she and the other three had made. The cave she was in was alittle small but she didn't really mind, so long as she had a roof over her head then she was happy. After helping her, Marienbard and her friends said they had to leave so Talim reluctantly had to bid them farewell. To be honest, she was nervous being around the infected man and she wasn't sure what would happen when he woke up. He was quite scary after all...<p>

Pulling her knees up to her chest, she rested her head on them and peered at the fire silently. Everything was very quiet except for the occasional drip of water from the ice above their heads and this made Talim rather fearful. Her link with the wind was... broken once again. She couldn't hear its ever present lullaby and she wondered if she had been infected when the man bit her. When the evil energy invaded her body as she tried to heal the young boy at the watermill village, the same thing happened. But she had a feeling this time was different. Since she couldn't heal this man and release all of the energy out at once, she was just going to have to be patient and push it out slowly day by day.

Reaching up to the bite marks on her neck, she touched it gingerly and shivered involuntarily. What he did wasn't just painful, it also felt very wrong. Spiritually of course. He must be very infected... Did he somehow manage to come into contact with Soul Edge itself? She rubbed her eyes tiredly and was about to crawl over to her corner of the cave to get some rest when suddenly, she heard the man moaning in pain. Her eyes widened and she quickly came over to his side. "Sir? Are you alright sir?"

"Amy... Amy, hold on... my beloved... Our very... world... soon. Augh..." groaned Raphael before coughing and shaking.

Wringing her hand with worry, she reached up to his forehead and she murmured, "Oh dear... you're very cold." This was puzzling since the cave had become rather warm and she looked around for some idea to help him get warmer. Finally, she looked down at her coat and perked up. Taking it off quickly, she placed it onto him gently and hoped that the extra layer would help somehow.

Curious, she tilted her head and wondered who Amy was. He certainly seemed to be very concerned about her and his voice sounded so tender whenever he spoke her name. Beaming at the sleeping man, Talim murmured, "I knew you weren't evil. Don't worry, I promise I'll do my best to heal you-" Sobering up, she realized that even at full strength, she might not be able to purify him. The aura around him was so dark that whenever she was near him, she would feel slightly tired.

Shaking her head at her pessimistic thoughts, she stayed by his side and when he finally stopped talking in his sleep, she silently went back to the fire and sat down. "Whew." Talim shivered as a blast of frigid air sneaked into the cave and robbed some of the warmth. Rubbing her arms, she inched a little closer to the fire and prayed that it would burn for a few more hours since there wasn't much wood left. As the minutes ticked by, Talim felt her eyelids grow heavy and with a yawn, she laid down on the hard cave floor and drifted off to sleep.

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><p>So cold and so dark... What's going on? Darkness was pressing against him from all around. He couldn't see anything or hear anything. There was a strange smell… What was it? It was familiar but somehow he couldn't tell what it was. But the smell grew stronger until he finally recognized it; fresh blood. And slowly, the bright liquid dripped and pooled into view. A figure was lying a few feet away, motionless and bleeding their life's essence away. Who was it? He couldn't quite see. It was still too dark. But the figure was very small, and it looked to be a young girl. Raphael strained his eyes to the limit and when he saw the pigtails he screamed." Amy! No! No! No!"<p>

Startled from her sleep, Talim quickly looked around and when she saw the man wailing at the top of his lungs, she rushed over to see what was wrong. " Please calm down sir. It's alright. You're safe. I won't hurt you." But no matter how hard she tried to reassure him, he was totally immune to her voice. His eyes held a feverished look in them as he sat up and shouted more nonsense. Not knowing what to do, she quickly embraced him and began murmuring in a foreign tongue in his ear. Slowly, he calmed down and with a groan, he fainted once more.

Laying him back down, she thought he looked deathly pale. His lips moved but no words came out and she could tell that he was having a terrible dream. Thinking hard, an idea hit her but in a way, she also felt rather embarrassed. Whenever she had nightmares, she would always listen to the wind for comfort but she doubt that this man could. Thankful that no one was around (or conscious), she held her hands together and hummed. The sweet notes vibrated through the cave and the one who sang it had such a beautiful voice that Raphael immediately relaxed. Noticing that his breathing was back to normal, his expression peaceful, Talim smiled and adjusted her cloak over him. "Good night sir..."

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><p>After a long sleep, Raphael finally opened his eyes and sat up groggily. He looked at the white fur coat that was on top of him and within a split second, his eyes saw its owner and he reached for his rapier that was placed near him. But to his surprise, the young girl laid by a dying campfire and with her petite body curled like a sleeping cat, his hands paused in midair as he looked at her warily. She was clearly of Asian descent, rather small and lithe, with healthy looking skin, two black pigtails hung low on each side of her head, and her small green strange hat adorned with bells served as a made shift pillow. Her green vest was worn over what looked like a small white top and her white pants... were transparent.<p>

His cheeks reddened and he quickly looked away but he turned back when he noticed her shivering. He rolled his eyes. Why in the world didn't she wear something warmer? But then he remembered the white coat that was on him and he touched it questioningly. He had attacked her and yet... Why? What was she up to?

When she shivered again, he got up and walked over to her cautiously. He was still weak and only a fool would let down his guard in these conditions. The fact that her blood had weakened him so badly, was a most worrying factor. He wouldn't have hesitated to take her life but he had a feeling, she had helped him out quite a bit...Brushing away some of his light blonde hair away from his face, he kneeled down and held her coat tentatively. As he begun to lower it over her, her eyes opened and Raphael froze.

The two stared at each other quietly and he watched as her eyes took in his appearance. He quickly glanced at himself as well and he was relieved to see that his dark green jacket, with it's high collared cape was undamaged. His bat accessories was still a bright silver and the red pendent at his neck was undamaged as well. The rest of his black ensemble, with its rich gold lining remained free of tears and he thought that he looked quite presentable. With a smirk, he said, "Finished looking?"

Talim blushed and quickly sat up. "Si-sir! I'm glad you're awake. Ho-How are you feeling?"

Standing up, he tossed her the coat and replied, "I'm... actually in a very foul mood." His eyes hardened as he looked at her. "Thanks to you, I feel like half of my internal organs got crushed with a sledgehammer. But I have more important matters to deal with... Where are my minions girl?"

At that, Talim looked at him rather angrily. " They're not your minions. They're human beings with a free will and dignity. I could tell from the bite marks on their necks that you purposelessly infected them. How could you do something so horrible?"

Raphael merely looked at her and answered indifferently" I couldn't care less what you think of me silly girl. Now answer me, where are they?"

"I purified the evil energy in them." Talim looked away from him and added, "They're gone and they've made sure that they can't be found by you ever again..."

"How dare you! I will-" But then a sudden headache hit him and he dropped to the ground. He cursed at his weakness and clutched his head with both hands. The young girl quickly helped him over to the cave wall and she kept on asking him over and over if he was okay. Breathing hard, he shook his head at the pain. "You... did this... to me. Happy?"

Talim's heart hurt when he said that. She hated to see anyone in pain and she knew that in a way, she was responsible for the suffering he was going through. "I'm... so sorry. I didn't mean to." After a brief pause, she made him lie down. "You need to rest." Holding her hand up to his forehead, she felt that it was ice cold and again, it made her extremely worried.

Raphael tried to pull away and when she didn't let go he said angrily," Unhand me wench! I have important matters that I must attend to".

"I did not save your life just for you to throw it away!" shouted Talim, pushing him back down and holding him steady. "Please! Value your life or... or... Amy will worry!"

He looked at her in shock. "How did you know about Amy? And... you saved... me?"

Talim looked rather surprised at the change in his attitude but she quickly nodded. "Yes. You were ill for quite some time and I tried to get you to drink or eat every once in awhile. It was rather difficult and when we finally ran out of wood for the fire, I was starting to get worried. I was afraid to leave you all alone and search for some but I'm relieved that you're awake now." Blushing, she began fiddling with her fingers. "I didn't mean to pry... but you were mumbling Amy over and over again in your sleep so that's how I found out about her. Oh, I almost forgot." She reached for the pouch behind her back, took out some dry meat for him and said gently "Life is important. You must value it or else you'll hurt those who care about you… This Amy… I'm sure she's waiting for you to return to her. Now please eat."

"You..." Raphael felt rather speechless as he found out what happened. This was the second time he owed to his life to someone and he felt rather disoriented. Remembering the way she slept, his expression softened. "How many nights did you sleep like that? In the cold without your coat."

"I-It wasn't that bad," lied Talim as she tried to avoid making the man feel guilty. "The fire lasted for a very long time. And it was just a few hours that I slept like that."

Staying quiet, he finally said, "Those three... when you healed them, didn't they want to take revenge on me?"

"I persuaded them not to," answered Talim. "Because hate will not heal them and your death will not bring about any good. I don't want to see... anyone get hurt."

Her voice trailed off and Raphael felt a strange mix of emotions as he looked at small the girl kneeling across from him. "Why did you save me?"


	4. Truly Sorry

With a gentle smile, Talim answered. "Because we're both humans."

The answer was so shockingly simple that Raphael stared at her with a stunned expression. He had never met someone like her and he felt his throat constrict with disbelief. "I... have lost my humanity a long time ago. It's quite obvious by now that I am no longer 'human'. To be honest, it was rather foolish of you to save someone like me," Raphael added.

"Then I'm happy to be called a fool." Putting her hand over her heart, Talim closed her eyes and shook her head. "I believe that it's your heart that makes you human. I can tell that it is still strong and free from the presence of Soul Edge running through your blood." Reaching over, she laid a hand on his chest and said, "Your eyes... they have so much sadness in them. I wish... I can heal you right here and now but I don't have enough strength. I tried but you have been infected far longer than the other three warriors that I healed." And she bowed her head in shame.

A wave of guilt hit him as he stared at the innocent girl before him and at that moment, he wanted nothing more than her forgiveness. "I..." Raphael felt lost for words and he also reached over and put a gentle hand on her neck. "Does it still hurt?"

Talim blushed and pulled away. "It doesn't hurt." Seeing his skeptical expression, she added, "Well, it doesn't hurt that much."

Ashamed of his actions, Raphael looked away. "I am truly sorry ma petite. Of all the people in this world, besides my Amy, you did not deserve such a treatment at my hands." Another flash of pain ravaged his body and he coughed harshly. He brushed her off when she moved towards him worriedly and forced a smile on his face. "It's alright... I deserved this."

Talim said pleadingly, "Please, you need to rest sir. You're very pale... I will wake you up when the sun arises but if you don't feel well, we can stay here awhile longer."

He turned his head away from her and looked at the cave's entrance to gaze at the sparkling white snow. "I.. can't travel during the day. For I am now a creature of darkness ma petite. If it wasn't for that fact that your blood is harmful to me, I may actually attack you for I am quite thirsty." His cardinal red eyes returned to look at her own concern chocolate eyes and he asked, "Tell me... are you afraid of me?

It was strange; after what he did to her, she couldn't find it in her heart to hate or reject him. It was not in her nature to bear a grudge against others and he did apologize for his actions. Slowly glancing up at him, she shook her head. "I'm not afraid of you sir. I'm just worried about you."

His lips curved upward in a small smile when he heard her answer."Thank you." With that, Raphael closed his eyes and lost consciousness.

* * *

><p>After making sure that Raphael was comfortable, she had taken a quick nap before meditating. It had been several hours since Talim had tried to communicate with the wind, and there was still no response. It seems that releasing the evil energy he transfered over to her was going to take quite awhile... But with her link to the wind weakened, she felt her resolve and confidence melt away like butter. "No, I mustn't give up so quickly. I'm sure a solution will present itself when the time comes. In the meanwhile I should probably wake my travelling companion," thought Talim. Standing up, she did a few stretches to get the blood moving and strode over to where Raphael was sleeping. Kneeling down she tapped him on the shoulder "Sir wake up. It's time to go."<p>

Slowly, his eyes opened and he blinked against the light. "Why is it so bright?" She merely smiled at him and helped him stand up. Rubbing his eyes a few times, he turned to look at her and what he saw worried him. "You look very pale ma chére. Are you alright?"

She nodded at him cheerfully. "Don't worry about me sir. I'm fine."

"Raphael."

"Huh?" Talim was alittle confused and she blinked at him a few times.

Adjusting his coat, he repeated, "My name is Raphael Sorel... Forgive me for not introducing myself earlier ma petite. Pray tell, what is your name my dear?" asked Raphael, eager to know her name since she had saved him.

She thought to herself, "He seems like a totally different person." He was being rather courteous and he even seemed to be in a rather pleasant mood. Fiddling with her hair, she said, "Umm... I..."

Tilting his head, Raphael looked at her, puzzled by her reaction. "Is there something wrong?"

"Huh? Oh no, nothing's wro- wrong. Ummm, I'm Talim. I'm so pleased that you're looking well sir. I mean Raphael. I me-mean Mr. Sorel," stuttered Talim. "Sorry, I've recently gotten the hang of English but I'm still not very good at it. I'm sorry if you can't understand me ."

Raphael chuckled at the obviously flustered girl. "That's alright. I am Frecnch so I also have a slight accent as well. But yours sounds much lovelier in my opinion." Her voice did have a slight accent to it but it only made her voice sound richer and the words she pronounced had a distinctive ring to it which he quite liked. "Anyway, Raphael is fine. Might I say your name has quite a lovely sound to it. Tal-lim. Am I pronouncing it right?" asked Raphael.

"Yes si- I mean . I mean Raphael. I mean yes, you're pronouncing it right..." Talim wondered to herself why he was looking at her in such a different light and as she was unused to being stared at, she was feeling rather embarrassed.

"Am I making you uncomfortable Talim?" asked Raphael gently.

Talim then shook her head really fast and looked straight at the ground. Why was she feeling so uncomfortable? Talim was about to say something when all of a sudden he took her chin in his hand and raised her head up. "Hmmm, you look a little pink. And you feel a little hot as well. Did you catch something? He put his hand on her forehead and began checking her temperature worriedly.

If Raphael thought she looked a little pink, it was nothing compared to the shade of red as Talim blushed like crazy at how close he was to her. " I'm-I'm fine, it's noth-nothing," Talim said stepping back from him quickly. Turning her back to him she forced herself to breathe in and out slowly.

By now, Raphael was highly amused and he waited for her to calm down and say something before unintentionally distressing her even further. He watched the rise of her slender shoulders under her white coat and smiled as she began to calm down. When she finally calmed down, she turned back to him and said, "Umm… I know this sounds kind of rude Raphael, but you seem rather different. Very different if I may say," she said quickly and looked at the ground.

With one hand on his hip, he smiled and gestured for them to take a seat on the ground. When they had made themselves comfortable, he cleared his throat and started explaining. "Believe me Talim, there's no one else in this world beside my beloved Amy would I act this way. No one else in this world matters to me. I'm honest when I say that I would not care if you drop dead at my feet two days ago. However, things are different now. You have saved me... To you it may be a normal act of kindness but to me, you are now the second most important person in my life. I guess my abrupt change in behaviour must've had you rather confused but now that you know, I hope we can become good friends. That's if you would would want a friend such as me..."

A look of understanding crossed Talim face and she nodded happily. "Of course we can be friends Raphael. I'm very happy that I've made another friend on this journey." She tilted her head and said fondly, "It is so very nice to have meet you. Ever since my old travelling companion left, I've been rather lonely."

He smiled at her. "Well then, I am pleased to be your new travelling companion. To be honest, it's rather dangerous for a young girl like you to be travelling by yourself and I'm glad I'll be able to watch over and protect you from now on."

Talim looked embarrassed as she said, "I did run into quite abit of trouble when I first left my village. I had no idea what money was and what the world was like. But I was still very happy to finally see the outside world!"

Raphael sat there and listened as the young priestess eagerly described the places she saw. She was so... pure and innocent. He couldn't imagine ever meeting someone like her. She was certainly a breath of fresh air, he thought with some amusement. After awhile, she asked him why he was on a journey and he said curtly, "I'm after Soul Calibur ma petite."

"Why?" Talim asked curiously. She quickly excused herself at the rude question and mumbled, "As you are infected by Soul Edge, I would assume that you would be after Soul Edge instead."

"Yes, you've made a very good point Talim. But I'm over that sword. I've recently found out that Soul Calibur can oppose Soul Edge which means that it stronger. I need Soul Calibur to establish my new world for me and Amy. That's the reason why I came to this godforsaken land to find those from the spirit tribe to learn more about the sword."

Talim looked at him worriedly. "A... new world?"

He sighed tiredly and adjusted his seat. "Look at me Talim, I'm no longer human. Amy was also infected when she treated my wounds and we were forced to run away from our home because the world rejected us. They called us an abomination and looked at us with fear and hatred. Therefore, I shall make a new world for us if this world won't have us," Raphael said angrily. The painful memories came back to him now. How he and Amy had to travel many miles under the sun and moon to find another place to live. It was humiliating and he sweared that the world would pay for their suffering.

"He's been through a lot, it's no wonder he turned out like this," thought Talim as she looked at Raphael sadly. She wished that she could help him but... she can't let him use Soul Calibur; that sword is sure to bring about his destruction and the world itself. However, she can't let him continue living his life in the darkness like this either. Thinking hard, a solution suddenly hit her. "Raphael what if I healed you and Amy? Then wouldn't you and her be able to live normally again?"

Raphael looked at her and said, "But didn't you say you were unable to?"

"Yes, but now that I think of it... I think I might be able to use Soul Calibur' power combined with the energy of the wind to do it." But it was a risky gamble. Soul Calibur was no longer the pure sword she thought it was or she would have more confidence in this plan but there was really no other way to help him...

Raphael pursed his lips in thought. Did he want to be healed? Perhaps in some corner of his heart, he did want to. But at the same time, what difference would it make? This world was still ugly and imperfect. and with this dark power, he had obtained many minions and was feared by many. Would he be willing to give all of that up in return for his and Amy's humanity? Looking back at the priestess, he asked quietly, "And if it doesn't work? What then?"

"Then you may do as you please Raphael. But please believe me on this when I say that Soul Calibur and Soul Edge are double edge weapons. Nothing good can come out of them" pleaded Talim. She had said the same thing to Yun-Seong but he merely laughed and waved it off. However Raphael regarded her seriously and after some time he finally answered her.

"I know... But I'll risk everything for Amy' s sake. Her happiness is my happiness."

* * *

><p>As they packed up to leave the next night, Raphael noticed Talim's footwear and he commented on it. "Why are you wearing sandals in this weather ma petite?"<p>

She was standing by the cave's entrance with her elbow blades strapped to her belt, hidden under her coat and she had a small bag slung across her shoulders. A gentle wind tugged at her coat and hair as she looked up at the bright moon and he only noticed her sandals when her coat moved up from the blowing air. Hearing his voice, Talim turned and blushed. "I... I gave my boots away to someone in a town nearby. Hers was falling apart and she looked so happy when I gave her mine so I..." Talim's voice trailed off and she began twiddling with her thumbs.

Hearing that, Raphael shook his head. However, at the same time he was once again touched by her kindness and selflessness. Walking over to her, he pointed to the tall layer of snow. "I'm surprised your toes haven't frozen off yet Talim. How long do you think you're going to be walking in this weather?"

"Well... I was planning on wrapping some cloth around my feet to help. Please wait, I'll do it fast." She could feel his eyes on her as she wrapped two layers of cloth around her feet and when she stood up, she said in a cheerful tone of voice, "See? All better. Now let's go Raphael." Pulling her white fur hood over her head, she exited the cave briskly and began walking.

With another shake of his head, he followed her. They had been walking for quite some time and everywhere he looked, there was only snow and ice. Occasional pines surfaced into view from time to time but other than that, the place was rather barren. He didn't noticed that Talim had stopped and he accidentally bumped into her and the two nearly lost their footings in the deep snow. "Why have we stopped?"

"Oh my," whispered Talim excitedly. Her big brown eyes locked on a family of ten rabbits nearby and she held her hands up to her cheeks in a adorable fashion. "They're so... cute."

"They're just... rabbits." Raphael was rather puzzled by her reaction but at the same time, he found it slightly endearing. Every moment he spent with her just seemed to make her more and more interesting to him. He never met someone who loved life so much and who treasured everything she saw. She was certainly a rare treasure. He tilted his head and looked at her as she inched towards the little beasts and he smiled when they moved away from her. Laughing at her futile attempts, he walked over to her and whispered to her, "Approach them from the sides. Get yourself near the ground to look less intimidating and just wait patiently for one of them to approach you."

"Ok." She did as he instructed her and crouched to the ground. Soon enough, one of the baby bunny noticed her and out of curiosity, it began hopping over to her. Her heart thumped loudly in her chest and when it was finally within reach, it's little pink nose touched her coat gently. Slowly, she lowered her hand and to her surprise, it hopped on to it a minute later. With sparkling eyes and cold red cheeks, she showed it to Raphael. "Isn't it cute Raphael?" When she saw the amusement in his eyes, she blushed and held the bunny to her chest. "Oh, I guess a man wouldn't really see this as cute..."

He chuckled and replied, "Non. It's actually quite cute Talim." But what he was referring to was actually her. "She would make a wonderful friend for Amy," Raphael thought hopefully. His daughter truly needed someone to call a friend and he was saddened by the fact that he wasn't always by her side. Perhaps, things would now change and his sweet Amy might smile a little more often. Ever since they were infected, she had lost her smile. He was the only one she would smile at and every time she did, his heart felt lighter. Removing himself from his thoughts, he looked at Talim who was surrounded by at least five rabbits and she laughed cheerfully as she tried to pet them all. Her laughter and smile... also made him feel...strangely lighter. Bending down, he said to her, "Enjoying yourself ma petite?"

She merely laughed again and before he could say something, she dumped an especially large white bunny in his arms. "Thank you so much for showing me the way to approach them Raphael. This had really made my day."

"You're welcome Talim." As he watched her play with the little beasts, he asked, "Do you want one of them as your pet?"

Talim shook her head. "No, they're happy out here in the wild with their family and friends. I wouldn't want to take one of them away just to suit my own needs. Oh, and I already have a pet bird so I'm good."

"I had a feeling you would say something like that. Wait, you have a bird?" Raphael was going to ask her something but then he noticed one of the rabbits nibbling on his black coat. "Hey, stop that you little mongrel." He dropped the one that was in his arms and shooed the one that was eating his coat. Holding up the damaged fabric, he narrowed his eyes at the hole it had made. This was a really expensive coat as well...

Talim was petting another bunny when something caught her eyes. "Raphael, what is that... coming towards us?"

Raphael glanced up from another bunny who was trying to eat his coat and he looked at what she was pointing. His own eyes widened and he quickly reached for his rapier by his side. "Either that's a walking rhino or it's a crazy lunatic who's coming towards us. Talim, stay behind me."

She quickly shooed the rabbits away and reached for her own weapons as well. "Raphael, you haven't completely recovered yet. I'm not going to stand by and let you do this by yourself."

With a sigh, he pointed to the man advancing towards them. "That man has practically no clothes on in this weather and yet he's not even shivering. Also, his giant mace is bigger than you. At this rate, running away would be our best option."

"But the town is that way," said Talim. "We won't make it unless we stock up on supplies... And, maybe he's just passing through here," she added hopefully.

Inwardly, he measured the options and he had to agree with her that she was right. "Fine. But if he turns out to be dangerous, I'll take care of the situation." His eyes narrowed as the tall man came closer and closer.

When the man was finally within walking distance, Raphael held his rapier out threateningly and shouted, "Who or what are you? State your reasons for coming here and if you're honest, perhaps I'll spare your life." To his shock, the large man stopped within a short distance from them and felled forward.

"Are you alright?" cried Talim, running past him and over to the stranger.

Raphael quickly grabbed her arm; holding her back, he said, "Don't come near him. He could be dangerous." But she merely shrugged him off and ran over to the fallen man. Cursing slightly, he headed over as well and watched as she kneeled down in the snow, placing her head over his exposed chest to see if he was still alive. Pulling his hood over his head, he cast a critical eye at the newcomer and saw that his body was marked with deep and painful wounds. At the sight of the blood, Raphael felt his urges return and he it took alot of will power to restrain himself from biting the fallen man and drinking his blood. He had a feeling Talim wouldn't be very comfortable with that...Clearing his throat, he asked, "Is he alive?"

Talim nodded with relief. "Yes but he's very weak. We'll need to get him to the town and find him a doctor fast..."

Seeing how worried she was, he sighed. "And who's going to carry this guy? He's probably twice my weight and yours combined."

She shifted a bit in the snow and looked around the desolate wasteland. There was truly no one here to help them. Hearing Raphael footsteps crunching at the snow as he approached her, she look up at him beseechingly. "But... we can't just leave him."

"Yes we can."He suddenly startled her as his hand reached down and lifted her coat away to reveal her wet and icy cold feet. "That's what happens when you help others before you help yourself Talim. You gain nothing and you will lose everything. Showing mercy to others is only being cruel to yourself. Now, let's get going before your feet freezes solid."

"I..." Composing herself, she smiled at him. "Go on without me Raphael. Although it pains me that we must say farewell so quickly... I do not wish to be a burden for you."

He closed his eyes in exasperation and shook his head but after some deliberation, he finally said, "I'm not leaving you." Seeing the surprise on her face, he told her, "I owe you my life and until I've repaid you, I'm not going to abandon you. Now, give me a hand in carrying this guy."

"Thank you so much Raphael!" Talim clapped her hands together in thanks and quickly went over to help him.

* * *

><p>After an hour of travelling, Raphael panted for breath as he and Talim struggled to keep the stranger they were carrying from falling into the snow. They each had a heavy arm around their shoulders and they were moving at a snail's pace. At this rate... if the weather didn't kill them then it would be a miracle. When Raphael thought he could take it no more, the stranger finally woke up. "Thank God!" thought Raphael, stopping to catch his breath.<p>

"Sir? Are you alright?" asked Talim timidly, addressing the man who seemed like he was awake. But she couldn't really tell since he was wearing a rhino mask. "Please, tell me your name. Are you from around here?"

Coughing, the man shook his head. "My name is... Rock. Did you two... save me?"

"You got that right." Raphael let go of Rock and within a split second, he regretted it since the man toppled over. Along with Talim who was unable to support such a heavy weight on her own.

Shaking the snow off her, Talim shivered. Raphael quickly went over to her and assisted her up while apologizing to her. She merely smiled and told him that it was alright before turning to Rock who had stand up as well. "Sir Rock, are you able to walk on your own?"

"You two..." Rock gave them a quick bow and said, "Thank you. Now, please leave this place at once. There's a very formidable opponent out here and if you see a black giant wielding an axe... run."

"Was he the one who injured you?" asked Raphael.

Rock nodded. "I fell off a cliff and through luck, I lived. I managed to find a hot spring where I stayed and waited to feel better but I had no food. Leaving the spring, I wandered for two days until... you two found me." He then realized something. "Where's my mace?"

"Ummm..." Talim fidgeted nervously and played with her hair. "We couldn't... carry you and your mace so we left it. I'm really sorry. Please, let me make it up to you." Reaching for the bag she was carrying, she took out some more dried meat wrapped in wax paper and gave it to him. "We're quite close to the town so me and Raphael should be able to restock quickly enough. Will you come with us?"

"No. I shall go back to get my weapon and I will continued to hunt down the black giant." Rock looked at the barren land around them and whispered, "He's still out there and I must stop him from hurting any more innocent people."

"Good luck then," Raphael said nonchalantly. "Now if you'll excuse us, we need to get going. Thanks to carrying you around the sun is almost up. I should've been in a nice and warm bed by now but here I am, freezing-"

"Raphael," shushed Talim. "Please, you're making me very sad. It's not his fault."

Rock looked at the young girl and thanked her. "Little one... you have a very big heart and I am glad to have met you. May the spirits protect you..."

She smiled politely at him. "And I pray that the wind will protect you as well Sir Rock. It has been very nice to meet you and please, take care of yourself. And are you really sure you'll be fine... going out there in the cold with what you're wearing Sir Rock?"

As the two exchanged farewells, Raphael watched as the white giant left and he turned back to Talim who was nudging him. "Let's hurry Raphael. The sun's almost up and I know that it's difficult for you during the day..."

He looked at her with half closed eyes and said tiredly, "Why do you always think about others before yourself. The only reason why we should hurry is because you're going to catch pneumonia soon. And yet you're more worried about me..." When she gave him an embarrassed smile and shrugged, he just sigh and shook his head at her.

Seeing that, she said, "Is there something bothering you?"

"I... I wish to return to my castle and see Amy. I miss her quite dearly," admitted Raphael. "And with the state you and I are in, it would be foolish to continue on our journey."

"There's still... a bit of time left before the two swords return to their true power," said Talim. "I would not object to this idea so don't worry about it."

He tilted his head and said, "Then we should hurry to town and stock up on some supplies. Oh, and once we get to town, I'll purchase some boots for you."


	5. Slight Disagreements

After visiting an inn and paying for two rooms, Raphael and Talim headed into town to look for a cobbler the very next night after they had rested. The small town seemed busy as people mingled and talked and everyone seemed so lively despite the cold weather. Soft fluffy snow covered the roads and every once in awhile, a young kid would slip on some hidden patches of ice. The small houses and shops sat closely together and warm light shone through the windows, offering its solace to those who passed by. It was late in the night and the fact that there were so many people out surprised Raphael.

When they finally found the shop, they entered the place quickly and the warm air was very much welcomed as he shook the snow out of his hair. "Alright Talim, just go around and look for a pair you like and I'll pay for it."

Her face was bright red from the cold and she rubbed her hands together to get some feelings back in them. Saying a quick thank you, she wandered around and he soon lost sight of her as she weaved in and out from the high racks of boots and other footwear. Walking over to the counter, an old man nodded politely at him. "Sir, how may I help you today?"

Raphael tilted his head in Talim's direction nonchalantly. "I need a pair of warm boots for my companion. The price isn't important so feel free to suggest the best for her. Now, show me your wares and I shall determine their quality." The cobbler nodded and proceeded to bring out his finest boots for Raphael's inspection and the dark lord cast a critical eye over the items. They've only been there for twenty minutes but it seems Talim had already finished her shopping.

"I've found them!" Talim returned to Raphael side and she held up a simple pair of ankle high brown boots with cross stitching on the side. "Okay, I'm done Raphael."

He quirked an eyebrow at her and her boots. "But... those things are so plain Talim. Are you sure you don't want to get something else?"

She laughed and shook her head. "My grandmother always taught me to take only what you need and no more. And since you're buying them for me, I don't want you to waste your money."

"There's no need to be embarrassed. I've offered to pay for them and you're merely insulting me if you try to reject my offer," said Raphael. He quickly looked around and saw a fancier pair of boots with white fur lining on it. Picking it up, he held it in his hand and nodded in approval at the quality of the leather. "Perfecto! Here, these will much better ma chère."

"But... they're so fancy," mumbled Talim. "I don't need to wear such lovely things Raphael."

"Nonsense," replied Raphael, throwing down some money at the shopkeeper. "You can keep the change. Now, put them on Talim. Let's see if they fit."

She sighed tiredly. He was certainly bossy and domineering but that was to be expected since he looked like a noble and all. Slowly taking off her sandals, the gold bangles on it clinked together and she felt embarrassed at her feet since days of walking had made them rough. Dropping them beside her, she reached for the boots and put them on.

"Do they fit?" asked Raphael.

"Ye-yes. They're very warm," replied Talim, brushing back her hair and standing up. She took a few steps around and noted that they were incredibly comfortable.

He admired her thoughtfully. "You look very beautiful in them Talim. As a graceful dancer, you deserve nothing but the finest footwear on those delicate feet."

Talim blushed bright red and stammered, "Umm-I er... thank you?"

"Hmm... but the boots don't match your outfit," said Raphael, looking at her critically. "Perhaps we should head over to the tailor next and buy you some new clothes."

After a few minutes of arguing with him that she didn't need new clothes, she finally won in the end and the two exited the shop a bit disgruntled with each other. Walking around, they noticed a part of the town that was blocked off and out of curiosity, Talim headed over and asked what was going on. One of the townsfolk smiled and said that was where the ice sculptures were going to be stored.

"Ice sculptures?" Talim peeked behind the lady but she couldn't see anything. "Where?"

Seeing that, the woman laughed. "It will be there tomorrow my dear. There's going to be a contest of some sort and everyone always looks forward to this."

"Is that why everyone here is so excited?" drawled Raphael.

"Wow, I get to see ice sculptures near the end of summer," Talim thought to herself excitedly. Thinking to herself that they still had to stock up on supplies, she asked Raphael if they could stay here one day longer.

"Why would we stay here for an extra day to look at blocks of ice?" he asked coldly.

Her smile faltered and she realized that it was probably selfish of her to make such a request. It was cruel of her to ask someone who was as ill as him to stay and do pointless things like this when it be better if they left to find Soul Calibur or return to his castle and rest. His wife named Amy must miss him as much as he missed her. Ashamed at herself, she bowed her head and said, "I'm sorry... You're right, we should leave as soon as possible." She shook some snow off herself and held on to the bag slung around her shoulders. "I'll go get the supplies right now Raphael. You go back to the inn and rest. I'll see you later."

He watched as she pulled the hood of her fur coat up and ran off. Raising his head to the sky, he looked at the moon shining down and whispered, "Amy... I shall return to you soon my beloved daughter..."

* * *

><p>A few hours later...<p>

As Talim walked past a bakery, she stopped and looked at the food items displayed in the windows and a small smile crossed her face. Cakes, decorative pastries and sweet buns sat there invitingly and she leaned alittle closer to look. A pair of white bunny shaped buns caught her eyes and her heart leaped at how cute they were. The chiming of a bell made her look up as the shop owner opened the door and smiled at her. "Can I help you my dear? We're going to be closing soon."

Talim fiddled with her white cloak and looked at the buns longingly. Putting a hand into her pouch that was tied behind her, she took out a few coins. "Would... this be enough for the bunnies?" And she pointed to the two sweet buns.

The lady nodded. "For one, yes. But for two, unfortunately no." She saw the look on Talim's face and asked, "Did you want to buy one for someone else?"

"Umm, yes. Well... he bought me these boots," said Talim, glancing at her boots that were peeking out from under her cloak. "And I was inconsiderate in asking him to stay here alittle longer when he has his wife who's waiting for him back home. So I..."

The lady dusted her apron and chuckled, "I can't sell you two for one. But I'll give you a small tart along with the bunny instead dearie. Come on."

* * *

><p>Back at the inn, Talim ran up the stairs and she welcomed the warm air that hit her cold face. At Raphael's door, she knocked and asked, "Raphael? Are you in there?"<p>

"Come in."

She entered the room and saw him looking at a map as he sat on his dark blue quilt bed. A small dresser rested against the wooden walls and the candle holder on the wall gave the room a orange glow. She asked quietly, "Umm, did you buy everything you need?"

Raphael sighed and said dryly, "Almost. Unfortunately, the stable master refused to sell me his best horse so I had to settle for another one."

She walked over the plain red rug and placed her supplies on the circular table. "Oh... but, is it really necessary to get the best one? We could make do, couldn't we?"

He arched an eyebrow at her. "These snowy terrains takes a lot of life out of a animal. My last horse died when I arrived here and believe me, it was a rather tough beast Talim. And the faster we get back to my castle, the faster I can rest and recover my strength as well as see my beloved Amy." He put the map on his side table and looked out the window. "You should try to get some rest Talim. I know you haven't adjusted to my... sleep schedule yet."

"Ok. Um, goodnight Raphael. Oh, I bought you something, as thanks for the boots... and I'm sorry for why happened earlier."

Before he could say something, she waved at him and quickly left. Getting up, he walked over to the table and noticed a neatly wrapped package with a green ribbon on it. Opening it, he laughed and held up the small bunny shaped sweet bun. He was rather amused and he shook his head at the sweet girl. Holding up the pastry, he mused, "You got me something that is almost too cute to eat, little wind priestess."

* * *

><p>After a refreshing night sleep, Talim woke up around noon. Burrowing herself deep into her pale blue quilt blanket, she ran a hand through her long untied hair and glanced over at the window across from her. Raphael would still be asleep and it'd be a good idea if she had some lunch and went back to sleep to wait for nightfall. But... that didn't seem like a good idea. It would be rather hard to lie in bed all day. Talim pondered about what to do when she remembered that he was irritated at not being able to buy the best horse. If she could persuade the stable owner to sell it, then they would be able to return to his castle sooner. And then he could see his wife sooner! Sitting up, she grabbed her pink hair bands and began trying her hair into its trademark pigtails.<p>

When she finished her lunch, she asked around for directions until she arrived at the town's own stable. Trudging through the snowy town, she knocked on the residence beside the stables. "Hello? Anyone here?"

A gruff voice answered her as the door opened. "What do you want?"

"Umm... hi! Uh, do you have... horses that I may buy?" asked Talim politely.

The stern middle aged man crossed his muscled arms and adjusted his worn grey coat. He stroked his dark brown beard and said, "Anything in particular you're looking for miss?"

Talim fiddled with her pigtails and nodded. "Yes, well... my friend came here earlier yesterday and he wanted to buy... your best horse. Would you be so kind as to-"

"No." The man spat at her feet and said, "Get out."

Flustered, Talim held her hands together beesechingly. "Please, we really need it. The price is negotiable. And if my friend said something to offend you, then please forgive him." She bowed her head in apology and repeated, "Please... my friend really wants to go back home and see his wife. He's also very injured, and I'd much rather have him recuperate back at his castle in case something happens."

The man's scowled. "I saw the horse that he used to get here. He pushed the poor thing to death. If it wasn't for the fact that he paid such good money, I would never sell him one in the first place. To me, horses aren't just tools or methods of transportation and in this place, do you know how hard it is to raise and care for them?"

He was about to slam the door shut but she quickly grabbed it. "Please, isn't there any other way?" She quickly brightened and said, "I... I give you my word that I will personally take care of it myself."

"Why should I trust your words?"

Talim bit her lips in thought before asking, "Isn't there any way I can prove it?"

The man looked into her big brown eyes and grunted, "Why are you doing this?"

"Because he's my friend," said Talim innocently.

"I don't care. Now move it, I have a mountain of fire wood to chop."

Talim held on to the door and said, "Please! Um, let me chop them for you!"

"You?" He looked at the small girl and barked, "Are you kidding me? You would keel over in ten minutes. now stop wasting my time."

"No! I can do it! If you give me the horse, I promise I'll chop all of your wood for you," Talim promised eagerly. "Please, at least give me a chance."

"You..." The man looked at her with annoyance before leading her to the back and he opened up the fence. They walked over to a huge pile of firewood and a German Sheppard barked at them before trotting over and sniffing her hand. The man shooed the dog away and pointed to the pile. "If you can chop all of this before sunset, then it's a deal." But he then he pointed to her hands and said, "And you must take off your gloves."

"Why?"

"How can I trust that you'll keep your words and stand up to that man if you can't even brave alittle pain?" He added sternly, "Back out now if you want. I won't think any lesser of you if you did." To his surprise, she took off her gloves and stuffed them into her pouch and picked up the axe to start. He merely grunted, "Naive fool..." before leaving.

She ignored the comment and enthusiastically set a block of wood down to begin chopping. She knew he purposely wanted her to fail by making her take off her gloves but she was determined on getting Raphael that horse. "It's a good thing I had lunch," Talim said to the dog cheerfully. "If I do my best, I should be able to finish and return to the inn before Raphael suspects." The dog wagged its tail and gave her an encouraging bark. She heard the sounds of a cheering crowd and glanced over to the sounds. It must be the ice sculptures that were getting ready to be displayed... But then she quickly scolded herself and got back to work. No time for daydreaming! For Raphael and his wife, she must work harder!

The pile steadily grew smaller as she worked for the next few hours. Gasping for breath, she sat down on the chopping block to rest. She rubbed her hands together for warmth but she immediately winced at the blisters. A few of them had ruptured and it bleed when she flexed her hands. Wiggling her stiff fingers, she sighed and looked at the pile of wood that remained. It was almost sunset and she still had a quater to go. The stable master was busy caring for the horses and customers and his other chores but he would come to check on her soon. And Raphael would wake up soon...

Standing up, she continued chopping, despite the fact that her arms were extremely sore. "Perhaps it's a good thing I got punished with weights back home," sighed Talim, remembering the times she had to hold heavy weights shaped like elbow blades for punishment.

"You're done."

Talim snapped up straight and saw the stable master heading towards her. "Oh, please wait! I'm almost done!" He grabbed her hands when she resumed chopping and Talim looked up at him.

"I said you're done." Talim looked down at the snowy ground dejectedly. All of a sudden, he said, "Come back with that man in an hour. I'll have your horse ready for you."

She opened her mouth in surprise. "But I didn't finish."

He adjusted his worn grey coat and said, "Though you didn't finish, your efforts and determination was enough. I don't think my own stable boys... could have done this much in the amount of time I gave you." Patting her on the back, he waved her off.

Talim bowed her head in thanks and skipped hurriedly back to the inn. She should quickly hop into bed and pretend to be asleep. If Raphael had any inkling of what she had done, he would be very angry at the stable master. And she didn't want him to feel guilty or worry about her either. She certainly hoped that she wouldn't be a liability to him... Talim sighed, "Traveling with Yun-Seong was so much more fun... and less stressful." Opening the doors, she hurried inside and brushed past the lodgers as she turned a corner and headed upstairs.

"Talim?"

She immediately froze and looked up at Raphael who was standing there before her. Flushing red, she stammered, "Ra-Raphael? You're up already?"

He peered at her closely. "Yes. But it seems you got even earlier than I did. Where were you ma chère? I knocked on your door but no one answered. Judging from your bed, you've woken up hours ago."

"Ahh... well, I'm still having trouble sleeping during the day. So I decided to explore the town and... look at some of the ice sculptures!" Talim lied quickly. "You should see them! Someone made a... a... angel! It was very beautiful."

Raphael gave her curt nod. "About that, I want to apologize for sounding so rude before Talim. I know that you must have looked forward to seeing them. You are young after all; I understand that you would enjoy such trivial matters."

Talim quirked an eyebrow at him. "Trivial matters?"

Realizing his mistake, he quickly corrected himself. "I meant entertainment. Yes, it must have been very entertaining... Well, I'm glad you still got to see them Talim. Why don't you go pack up while I wait downstairs."

Talim nodded and made to move at the same time he did. When she moved to the left or right, he did as well. Standing there on the stairs, she turned sideways and said, "Um, you go first Raphael."

He chuckled slightly and proceeded downward. Once he was down there, he ordered a glass of brandy as he sat down at one of the dining table. A young man quickly gave him his drink and said politely, "We hope you enjoyed your stay sir." He nodded to the man as he took a sip of his drink. Looking out the windows with a bored gaze, he heard two young ladies chattering to each other.

"Oh! I can't wait to see the ice sculptures tonight. My dear Albert is going to be taking me to see them himself!"

"I heard that they're going to be very beautiful this year! Oh gosh, I wish we could take the covers off them and see already!"

Raphael choked slightly and he quickly turned around. "Excuse me for eavesdropping, but did you say that the sculptures were still covered?"

The blonde one with the pale red dress nodded. "They're all ready to go but the event starts at night. Why do you ask?"

"It's... nothing." He turned back in his seat and wondered why Talim had lied to him. He didn't trust many people and he was sorely irritated by the small lie. Sitting there in silence, he mulled over the question of why she had lied to him. Did something happen to her? Or did she-

"I'm ready Raphael," chirped Talim, adjusting the bag behind her shoulder. She smiled and asked, "So, are we going now?" She was slightly taken back when he swept out of his chair without a word and dropped a coin on the table. Hurrying after him, she asked if something was wrong. This seemed to irritate him and he didn't answer.

Slightly hurt, she stayed silent as they walked through the bustling town together. When they reached the stables, Talim smiled slightly when the stable master gave Raphael the horse he had originally asked for. When he inquired about the change of heart, the man merely grunted and said, "Money was money."

Raphael looked at him suspiciously before handing over some more coins. When the black horse was saddled and ready, Talim watched as he swiftly mounted it and waited for her. Alittle daunted by the height, she stood on her toes to try and get up. After a few tries, she mumbled, "Raphael, could you lend me a hand?" When he held out his hand and grabbed onto hers, she visibly winced as the tight grip pained her blistered hands. Getting up behind him, she grabbed onto his shoulders as he whipped the horse forward and they left the town in a matter of minutes.

They rode through the snowy night in silence and she tightened her grip on his shoulders when he rode faster. After awhile, she said, "Raphael, we should rest for a bit. The horse seems tired."

"It can keep going."

"We've been riding non-stop and it's already been at least two miles," protested Talim as they continued through the barren landscape. She could hear the animal pant for breath and when she touched its skin, she could feel how hot it was. "It needs to rest!"

He replied coldly, "We keep going until I say so."

Talim looked around and said, "I... I need to go!" She blushed bright red but she was relieved to see him slow down the horse to a trot. After a few minutes, he reined in the horse as they came to a stop. When he leaped down from the horse, he offered her his hands and helped her down.

Before she could take another step, he said, "Do you enjoy lying ma petite?"

Talim nervously feigned ignorance. "What do you mean? Ouch!"

He grabbed her right hand and stared at it. "Nothing can escape my eyes Talim. Your delicate face scrunched up in discomfort when I helped you on the horse. What's wrong with your hand?"

Talim pulled it back and put a hand on her chest. "It's nothing. It just felt alittle numb from the cold." Without another word, he snatched it back and began ripping off the glove. "Raphael! Stop this! What are you doing?" cried Talim as she struggled to pull away. She bit her lips as he finally managed to yank off the glove.

Raphael's eyes widened at the bleeding blisters. "Your hand..." Holding her small hand up, he touched it gently and said, "They're fresh. You've just gotten them..." His brows furrowed with concern. "Talim, where were you while I was asleep?"

Talim answered hesitantly, "I told you already. I was looking at the ice-"

"I want the truth. Now!" Raphael snapped angrily. "The ice sculptures are covered until nightfall. No one could have seen them! Why are you lying to me?" He saw her eyes flicker over to the horse and he hissed, "What did you do to get me that damn horse?"

"I... I chopped wood."

"What?" He looked at her incrediously. "You chopped wood?"

She nodded and pulled her hand back. Turning her back on him Talim explained quietly, "The stable master didn't want to sell you the horse because he saw the way you mistreated your first one. I know you wanted to return home quickly to see Amy and I know that it's better for you to recover back at your castle. So I... I just wanted to help. I'm sorry for lying to you Raphael. I didn't mean to." She looked down at the ground. "I hope you'll forgive me."

Deeply touched, he turned her around and said, "We have only met and you would do something like that for me? You..." He shook his head. "You are the most foolish girl I have ever met. First Rock, and now this?"

"I disagree." Talim said stubbornly as she looked at him with her big brown eyes. "Everything I do, is to help someone. I have no regrets and the only thing I ask, is that you treat this horse alittle better than your last one."

He glanced over at the beast and knew he would feel incredibly guilty if he mistreated it when she did everything she could to get it for him. With a sigh, he put her glove back on her hand gently and held it there for a moment. "You and I... have very differing viewpoints Talim. We disagree on many things but..." He gave her a small smile and let go. "I find your naivety, strangely quite endearing."

Talim returned the smile with her own before opening her cloak to show him her medallion. "Like the sun and moon, we both have differences. What matters is that we can appreciate each other's differences and help each other."

He just smiled as he helped her up, and placed her sideways on the horse. Getting up behind her, he grabbed the reins and tapped the horse on its sides with his feet. "You can lean on me Talim," he said as she looked at him questioningly. "Instead of holding onto my shoulders or waist with those hands of yours, this is a much better method."

"Err..." She shook her head. It was far too embarrassing to lean on him so she tried to sidle away. This only seem to amuse him and he put a hand on her shoulder and pulled her towards him.

"After chopping enough wood to blister your hands like that, I think you need to rest." He gave her a reassuring pat and let her rest sideways against his chest as he kept his hand securely on her shoulder.

Talim thought to herself happily, "He's a big softie at heart." Yawning, she closed her eyes. "His wife sure is lucky, to have married such a man."

When she fell asleep, he smiled as she unconsciously snuggled against his chest. "You're... such a strange girl Talim." As they rode through the cold and lifeless land, he couldn't help but feel rather warm inside as he held the small priestess against him. Sneaking a peek at her medallion that poked out from her cloak, he smirked. "Like the sun and moon huh?"

* * *

><p>Darkwings13:Yeah, so Talim thinks that Amy is Raphael's wife lol. Thanks for reading. Any questions or comments or critique, feel free to tell me please.<p> 


	6. Stars and Signs

"Are you cold?" Raphael questioned as he glanced behind him. The young priestess shook her head and her big round eyes blinked in merriment from under the snow white hood.

Talim continued holding onto his shoulders as he nudged the horse around the forest of trees and she asked, "Why have you been asking me that for the past two nights Raphael?"

"Well... it's probably because I'm just worried about you. After all, it feels wrong for someone so young to be so far away from home. And catching a cold is no laughing matter." Raphael wondered why her parents would let her travel the world by herself. What were they thinking? He would rather lose an arm then let Amy go out into the outside world by herself. He couldn't fathom the reason why Talim's parents would risk putting their daughter in danger. A gust of wind blew towards them and he grimaced. "We should probably look for shelter before the sun rises."

Talim helped him put the hood of his cloak back on and she looked around. "How about over there?" She pointed to a clearing that was sheltered by a circle of pine trees.

"Alright."

Once they made it over there, they cleared away as much of the snow as possible and began unpacking some blanket to soften the hard cold ground. Skipping over to Raphael, she said, "Raphael, I'll go get some kindling for a fire."

Another gust of wind hit them and she saw the annoyed look on his face when the hood of his black fur coat fell down again. "I hate this wind..." he grumbled as he brushed the snow out of his hair.

She smiled and said, "I'm sorry."

"It's not like you're the wind silly," he grumbled as he tug his hood back on. "Stay here Talim. I'll be back with some kindling."

Talim sat down on her blanket and watched him leave. She began sweeping aside some snow for the fire and patiently waited. Their horse whinnied and settled down beside the tree it was tied to. Perking up, Talim grabbed its thick blanket and draped it over the animal and feed it some oats from the bag that was attached to the saddle. When she finished, she yawned sleepily and sat down again. What was taking Raphael so long? She bit her soft lips worriedly and looked around. The darkness was slightly intimidating and she felt her heart thump when an owl hooted in the distance.

Huddling on her blanket, her eyes swept the dark area nervously. She heard Yun-seong say that there were ghosts that led travellers astray to eat them... Talim had thought that he was just trying to frighten her for his amusement but right now, she fervently hoped that the forest wasn't haunted. If she could hear the wind's reassurance then she wouldn't be so scared. But after being bitten by Raphael... she had lost her abilities, the same way she lost them when she treated the young child she had met at the watermill village.

The snapping sound of a twig made her heart speed up and she whispered, "Raphael?" No one answered and she asked the horse, "You don't think this place is haunted do you?" When the horse snorted and looked away, Talim smiled sheepishly. "Ye-Yea. It can't possibly be haunted. I'm just being silly. Oh, it's all Yun-seong's fault! Why did he have to tell me such scary stories!" The howling of the wind made her look up and when she heard the sound of snapping twigs again, she timidly got up and went over to investigate. Was the wind trying to tell her something? "Hello?" Following the wind, she wandered deeper into the darkness.

* * *

><p>Returning to the campsite with an armful of wood, Raphael announced his arrival. But when the soft voice of the priestess did not warmly greet him like he had expected it to, he looked around the bundle and to his dismay, she wasn't there. "Talim? Where are you?" He quickly dropped the load and looked for her. For the first time, he felt worried about someone other than Amy. Where did she wander off to? Did she try to look for him? Maybe it was his fault for taking alittle long but he had told her to stay put.<br>Quickly starting the fire, he grabbed a burning branch and went searching for her."Talim! Where are you? Answer me!"

A shrill scream pierced the frosty air and he immediately turned in all directions. "Talim!" All of the tall pine trees looked the same and he quickly scanned the ground for her footprints. When he spotted the small prints, he hurried after it and continued calling for her. Damn it, he was going to give her a serious lecture when he found her. Since he was a older than her, he had that right. And this was for her well-being so he has to be strict. "God, I'm not her parent, why am I acting like this?" Raphael wondered out loud as he searched. "Talim! Can you hear me?"

The howl of a wolf reached his ears and a horrible scenario popped into his head. What if she got eaten by wolves! She was a quick runner but if those beasts spot her... then she would be practically helpless. "Hold on Talim! I'm coming!"

"Raphael! Help me!"

His eyes widened as he heard her voice and his heart stopped cold when another wolf howled."Hold on! I'm coming! Don't... don't show any sign of fear!"

A yelp of pain punctured the air and he thrashed through snowy bushes and hidden undergrowth to reached her. Bursting into a clearing, he drew his Flambert and shouted, "Get away from her you mangy... wolves..." He stood there and stared; beside her, a large white wolf was trying to comfort its trapped companion while Talim struggled to pry open the metal sharp clamps on the injured leg.

She looked up at him pleadingly. "Raphael, please help me get this poor thing free."

"You were... crying for help because a dog got caught in a foot trap?" asked Raphael with disbelief.

Talim immediately frowned. "What are you trying to say? That I should leave it like this?"

He arched an eyebrow at her. "I don't think my expression can be more clear. Now hurry up and come over here before that wolf decides to eat you." To his dismay and annoyance, she shook her head and continued pulling at the trap. He caught her comforting whispers as she reassured the trapped wolf and its worried mate. With an exasperated sigh, he gingerly walked over and sidestepped the growling wolf. "Watch it," he said threateningly as he lowered himself down slowly.

He felt his face grow warm when Talim smiled at him fondly and said, "I knew you wouldn't leave them like this."

"Don't presume you know everything my dear," he replied crisply. "I'm only doing this for you. Because you are probably going to spend all night trying to do something as silly as this." With a grunt, he helped her pull the metal jaws apart. The wolf, which he assumed was female, panted heavily and whimpered. It's companion, which was a male, watched them carefully and after a few minutes, they finally managed to pry the trap open. The wolf barked thankfully and limped over to its mate and the two stood there silently.

Talim smiled at Raphael gratefully before petting the wolves. "Ok, try and watch out for these kind of things later on alright?" The wolf nodded and licked her cheek before limping away with its supportive and silent companion.

"Done yet?"

She turned back to see Raphael disable the trap and throw it away before turning to glare at her. With her eyes downcast, she stood there silently and waited to hear what he would say. Oh wind, he looked really angry... She peeked up at him and when she saw that he still glaring at her, she looked back down immediately. If anyone could spit fire right now, it would be him. In a small voice, she said, "I'm... I'm really sorry Raphael. Please don't be angry..."

Raphael's expression softened slightly when he saw her imploring brown eyes and and scared expression. But he quickly scowled and mentally told himself that he needed to be firm. "I specifically told you to stay put... ma petite."

She heard the harsh tone in his voice and she bobbed her head in agreement. "Yes, but I..."

"No excuses." Raphael walked over to her and said, "You disobeyed me and did you realize how dangerous it was to be that close to a wolf? They're wild beasts, not pets."

Talim nodded and wiggled one foot in the snow. "Well... people from my village have a natural affinity with animals. They usually trust us because we're a part of nature herself. We're the children of the wind..."

"Are you talking back to me?"

Talim quickly apologized. "No no. I was just... Um, I'm sorry. I won't do it again." But then she perked up in confusion. "Wait, you're not my dad Raphael."

Raphael arched an eyebrow at her. To his amusement, she immediately apologized again. With a sigh, he grabbed her hand and began dragging her back to the camp. "Let's just head back to camp and get warm before I lecture you some more.

Talim smiled cheerfully when she saw the smirk on his face. Grateful that he wasn't angry at her anymore, she went with him obligingly.

* * *

><p>With one leg straight out and the other bent, Raphael crossed his arms and leaned back against the fallen log and cast the sleeping priestess a thoughtful glance. The light from the fire danced across her healthy face and he smirked when she mumbled something and rubbed her cheeks sleepily. With her personality and upbringing, he couldn't believed that she managed to travel this far. The wind must have certainly favored her, to keep her safe for this long. With a wry expression, he sighed. "And now it's my turn to protect her..."<p>

He was quite positive that this was going to be a rather difficult endeavor. Trying to care for her was like caring for the world's most delicate flower. Being such a sweet and compassionate person, she kept putting herself in harm's way for others. He found that to be extremely annoying but at the same time, it was extremely charming as well. She wasn't like anyone else he's ever met. There wasn't a single trace of selfishness about her and he found her innocence to be very endearing.

He crossed his arms and thought about the difference in their lifestyles. Being raised in some far off village, she must have spent most of life in rather carefree manner. Unconcerned with burdens such as wealth and power. If she was raised in a noble family, they would have sent her to court at this age or so. And there, she would slowly learn about court gossips, manipulation, bribes and betrayals while searching for a husband who would help raise her family's status.

It wasn't unusual for a girl of sixteen to twenty to marry someone who was much older than her. After all, the men between their mid twenties to early thirties were usually the best looking and they most likely had enough wealth to marry at that age. Any younger and they were usually just boys. All fire... no power. Any older and it was usually a unhappy marriage. His second cousin suffered that fate and he had to admit, he felt slightly sorry for her as she was wed to someone thirty years older than her. Luckily for her, he died within two years and she was free to marry anyone she wanted since she inherited all of his wealth.

Raphael rubbed his eyes, thankful for that fact that he didn't have to endure any more days at court. He would never want Amy to experience any of that. The dances... masques and celebrations were amusing at times but he knew that life at court was just a burden. His beloved daughter wouldn't like it at all. When he head Talim murmur something again in her sleep, he smirked. The priestess wouldn't like it either... he was quite sure of that. All she wanted was probably a small cozy house, a nice husband and a few children.

He wondered if she had given any thought to her future. Did her parents have any idea in mind? Would they arrange a marriage for her or would they let her decide? He couldn't help but worry about her since she was after all... the second most important person in his life. He longed to repay her someday but right now, he was rather clueless on what would be sufficient.

"Raphael... why are you still awake?" yawned Talim, sitting up and rubbing her eyes.

He shrugged and looked up at the sky. "It's still too early for me to go to sleep. Dawn isn't going to arrive for at least two hours."

Talim perked up. "Oh no. I did it again!" She rubbed her eyes vigorously. "I'm sorry. I've been doing my best to change my sleeping patterns but I just get so tired..."

Raphael chuckled and motioned for her to sit beside him. When she settled herself down and looked at him questioningly, he said, "There's nothing more stimulating than an intelligent and interesting conversation. Why don't we talk to each other to pass the time ma petite."

Talim agreed to the suggestion and tapped on her chin in thought. "Ok... umm, what do you want to talk about?"

"Why don't you start the conversation?"

She looked alittle lost and stared at the fire cackling before them for awhile. But then she beamed and asked, "What does ma petite mean? You've been calling me that for quite some time now but I don't know what it means."

His eyes sparkled with amusement. "It means... my little one. It's a term of endearment Talim."

To his surprise, she puffed herself up and said, "I'll have you know that I grew a whole inch ever since I left on this journey."

Unable to contain himself, he burst out laughing. This seemed to make her alittle more flustered and he tried to control himself. When he was alittle more calm, he smiled at her and leaned back against the log. "So you don't think you're a child anymore, ma petite?"

Talim fiddled with her gloves. "Well... I was before I left my village. But after all this time, I'm alittle sad to say that I've grown up... faster then I would like." A sad expression crossed her face and she hugged her knees.

Raphael nodded at her understandingly. In a lighter tone of voice, he said reassuringly, "But from now on, you may act as childish as you like. I shall be the grown up and I'll look after you."

She smiled and shook her head. "The wind is proud of me and of what I've been through. The experiences and the pain I've witnessed... I shall honor them and become a stronger person. Besides, growing up isn't such a bad thing. I've leaned how to take care of myself and be more independent." She paused for a second before chirping happily, "And I've learned how to cook!"

"Hmm?" Raphael listened as she described her experience at a watermill village. She had done her best to take care of all the orphans there and she had become a rather accomplished cook.

Time seemed to fly as the two conversed with each other and before long, dawn arrived. As Raphael laid down to sleep, he gave the young girl a small smile and turned away to rest. As for her, she was happy to have made such a nice new friend. But of course, she silently made a line between them by placing their bags between each other. It would be bad if she accidentally rolled over there and got too close to him. His wife named Amy would not be very happy if that happened.

* * *

><p>After a week, they left the snowy wastelands behind them and arrived at a small quaint town and rented two rooms and each stayed in their individual rooms the entire day. At night they emerged, left some money and left. Because Raphael was unable to travel during the day (he would get really weak and sick), Talim had to change her sleeping pattern. Her link with the wind was still weak but slowly and surely it was returning. This comforted her greatly and she traveled with a smile on her face. As for Raphael, he was still alittle doubtful about Talim traveling with him. He was afraid that if he was somehow unable to protect her, then she would be left defenceless.<p>

But one time when they were about to be ambushed by bandits, Talim told him that the wind had warned her ahead of time and they took an alternate route instead. To make sure that their escape was successful, he told her to leave the horse and travel on foot. She was rather sad to leave it but he insisted that they would not stand a good chance with the condition they were in. Without her knowledge, he poisoned the food in the bags and kept it attached to the saddle to ensure that no bandits would live to pursue them.

As they continued traveling together, Raphael grew fond of this cheery innocent girl and thought to himself, "How rare is it for someone to be as kind and pure as her. If only the world was like her then I might not have hated it so. She would be a good influence for Amy". And he hoped that Talim would be able to get Amy to open her heart to the world as well. He noticed that she had lost a bit of weight from changing her sleep patterns and she had dark shadows under her eyes near the beginning. When he asked if she was alright, she would smile and reassure him that she was fine.

They were about two day's journey away from Raphael castle when they decided to take a short respite under some oak trees. Looking up at the full moon, Talim smiled. "What are you smiling at Talim?" Raphael asked curiously.

Talim looked over at him and answered, "I was just admiring the moon. It's so beautiful tonight. Oh, and the stars seem to be shining brighter than usual as well." She laid on her back and looked heavenward, "Oh do you see those stars over there Raphael! They look like fishes!"

Raphael also lay down beside her and looked at where she was pointing. Laughing, he replied, "Talim, those aren't fishes. That's Ursa Minor and Ursa Major. They're bears, not fishes."

"Huh really? What about those ones over there?" And she pointed the group of stars to their left.

"That's Andromeda. A Greek princess who was rescued by Perseus, it's quite an interesting story. Perhaps I'll tell you the story later if you wish."

Smiling, Talim pointed to another group of stars and looked over at him. Raphael sighed and looked for the stars she was pointing at. "Ahhh, the group of stars over there is called Sagittarius. Notice how it looks like an archer. Just squint a little. You see it yes? Good. Here's a little side note for that one, it's the sign I was born under."

She looked at him with curious brown eyes. "What does that mean Raphael?"

"There are twelve important signs that people assign by birthdays and it supposedly predicts your traits, personality and the future. My birthday is on November 27 so my sign would be classified as a Sagittarius, which is a fire sign."

Excited by this new piece of information, Talim began looking around the night sky trying to look for her sign. "Which one's my sign Raphael?"

"That depends, when's your birthday?" Raphael replied. "She was certainly amusing at times like this" he thought. But it was rather precious to see that she cared and showed so much enthusiasm about something so insignificant.

"My birthday is... Oh I remember now, it's June 15, what sign would that be Raphael?"

Closing his eyes, he tried to remember that astrology book he read a few years ago. After awhile, he finally recalled the sign he was looking for. "I believe that your sign would be Gemini, an air sign," he said, pointing to a distant group of stars to their right. "They look like twins see. And if I recall correctly, you're my opposite Zodiac sign".

Turning toward him, she asked in a puzzled tone of voice "Does that mean we don't get along?"

Grinning, Raphael shook his head. "On the contrary, we're quite compatible with each other."

"So that means we get along well?"

Raphael nodded. "As long as we try to understand each other. Now, do you want to know any more constellations ma petite?"

Laughing, she nodded eagerly. So they spent the night looking for the constellations and naming them. It was one of the most peaceful night they ever had and as the sun began creeping up from the horizon and dimming the stars, they both grew sleepy and closed their eyes; with the vision of the beautiful night sky still imprinted on their eyes.

* * *

><p>"Hmmmm... so warm" thought Talim. The young priestess was dreaming that she was lying on a really big and soft cloud under a warm and pretty sun. Gathering more clouds in her arms, she made herself a cloud blanket and snuggled in it. But wait... clouds don't breathe on you...Or hold you really tight... Or smell like some really fancy French cologne. Opening her eyes, she stifled a loud gasp and turned bright red. She and Raphael were locked tight in an embrace. What she thought was a blanket was actually his cape. She looked at his left arm which was encircled around her small waist while the other arm was wrapped around her shoulders. His chin was resting on her head and he was taking slow and deep breaths. With her head against his neck and her arms around him as well, she couldn't think of a way to remove herself without waking him up.<p>

All of a sudden however, she sensed the presence of Soul Edge. No, it was a merely a fragment of Soul Edge but nonetheless this baffled her. Didn't all the fragments of soul Edge travel to Ostrheinsburg? So why? Talim quickly pulled away from Raphael and started shaking him. "Raphael wake up! This is urgent!"

Opening his eyes groggily, he sat up and groaned, "Talim, it's the middle of the day. Why did you wake me up?"

"Someone's heading this way with a shard of Soul Edge. They're already quite close," explained Talim. She looked around worriedly and wringed her hands. "What should we do Raphael?"

Hearing this, Raphael stood up and grabbed his rapier as he pulled her up."Stay out of harm's way Talim. We'll need to retrieve that fragment of Soul Edge but I'll fight the person and you'll try to sense where the shard is and then steal it while the fool is distracted."

Talim hesitated before asking, "What are you going to do with the fragment?"

"I'll need the fragment to regain the remainder of my strength" Raphael looked over and interrupted the obvious objection that she was about to say." I know you do not agree with me on this Talim, but in order for us to obtain Soul Calibur, we'll need to be more powerful than ever. In the end, if you can heal me and Amy then it wouldn't matter would it?"

Talim could see that what he said was true; however, she did not like the plan at all. It goes against her nature and her ways but such power cannot be allowed to fall in the wrong hands. It would be better for her to purify the shard after Raphael used it then to let it stay with the person who was carrying it around. So with no other choice, Talim grimly agreed and hid amongst the tall trees while Raphael stood out in the open preparing for the upcoming battle.

* * *

><p>Darkwings13: You guys can probably guess who'll they'll be fighting, but if you're not sure then I hope you're eager for the next chapter. I wonder if I should make these chapters a little longer. Oh and I'm telling the truth when I say their horoscopes says they're compatible with each other. ^^<p> 


	7. Battle and Premonition

It's been awhile since Raphael stood under the burning glare of the sun; he felt the intense rays acutely like a thousand needles piercing him. It didn't help that he hasn't drunk blood in awhile either. He did not want to frighten Talim since they've just met so he's been holding in his thirst ever since. Right now, he's never felt more thirsty for that sweet red liquid. Shaking his head, he breathe in deeply and wished the fool would arrive already so that Raphael could kill him and get back under the shade and sleep. But with the condition he's in, he wasn't very confident on his chance of victory. No matter, the main objective was to steal the fragment of Soul edge and be done with it so it wouldn't matter if his enemy was to survive this battle. Closing his eyes, he stood up straight and waited rather impatiently for their target to arrive.

From her hiding spot behind some trees, Talim couldn't help but worry about Raphael. He looked even paler than usual and his gaze was unfocused. His grip on his rapier was also slack and the wind surrounding him was distorted more than normal. She knew that he was at a disadvantage and the only thing she could do for him was to steal the shard as quickly as possible and have Raphael escape from the battle without too many injuries. "Wind, be with us," Talim prayed quietly as she readied her own elbow blades.

After awhile, Raphael finally saw a figure walking toward him. She was a girl who looked to be about in her early twenties, her bright blonde hair was tied up by a red ribbon, and she was wearing some kind of blue top with a pink bow at the neck, silver pauldrons, white thigh long boots and long white gloves. Carrying a sword and shield, she looked confident and well rested. He wished she wore some pants though; he had enough problems to deal with besides being distracted by her purple undergarment. It was rather distasteful as well. Straightening up, Raphael tried to look like a formidable opponent while on the inside, he felt like trash. Squinting past the bright sunlight, Cassandra saw the elegantly dressed man standing in the middle of the path and stopped. "Umm.. can I help you?"

Raphael merely answered her by drawing his rapier and getting into battle position. "Foolish girl, you do not belong here!"

She arched an eyebrow at him and deftly drew her sword. In the past Cassandra may have been frightened but she had been traveling for quite some time now and was used to being challenged or ambush by strangers so she merely sighed and drew her weapon as well. "I really hate this kind of thing". Getting into her battle stance she charged at him and tried to cut his shoulders.

Dancing out range, Raphael retaliated with a quick vertical strike that was easily blocked by Cassandra. Quickly feinting, he aimed a low slash at her legs which was guarded as well. Feeling rather annoyed now, Raphael launched three quick strikes and when she let down her guard to fight back, he got into his preparation stance. "Fool." He evaded the sword that she tried to impale him with by bending backwards and then he hit her with a strong horizontal slash that left a deep cut across her torso. His eyes flashed and he swiftly kicked her shin. "You're no match for me, wretched peasant."

"I'm going to pound you into the ground!" shouted the Greek girl as she smashed her shield against Raphael's head and with a swift up kick, she sent him flying.

Behind the trees, Talim stifled a gasp and put a hand over her mouth. She watched the intense battle with fearful eyes and her heart pounded every time Raphael received another injury. Wishing to go out and help him, she took a small step forward and leaned out from the tree. Raphael noticed and he discretely hissed 'no' and returned to his battle. Talim drew back and bit her lips. If she wanted to help him, she must create a distraction for him and steal the shard. Twirling her elbow blades, she closed her eyes and began calling on the wind for help.

Trying to ignore the throbbing pain in his head, and the blood that was dripping down his right eye, Raphael quickly got back on his feet, took two steps back and leaped forward with his sword out in front of him. Cassandra easily parried the sword and she inflicted a painful cut on his back. Raphael let out a cry of pain and with a wrathful glare he kicked her hard in the stomach and knocked her to the ground. He twirled his rapier and tried to impale her but she rolled to the left and got back up. Running backwards from him she tried to put some space between them to determine her next moves."He's not bad," she thought.

Raphael eyed his opponent warily, wondering what she was going to tried next. He was breathing rather hard from the exertion, sweat and blood mingled on his forehead and crusted his hair. He was going to have to spend hours getting that cleaned out. "This is not amusing," he thought. "I'll have to be on my guard and look for an opening so that Talim will have a chance to steal the shard and then-" But his train of thought was interrupted when the earth beneath his feet shook. Cassandra had leaped into the air and slammed her shield down on the ground, creating a powerful shockwave that jarred every bone in Raphael's body." What the hell is she?" he thought as he lost his balance and stumbled backward.

Cassandra, seeing her chance to end the battle once and for all raised her sword for the deadly strike and shouted "It's over!" But before she could finish him off, a strong gust of wind hit her and engulfed her. Blinded by the dust in her eyes Cassandra coughed and tried to get out of the crazy whirlwind, "Where did this come from!" she thought while frantically trying to escape. Suddenly, she felt someone brushed up against her and grabbed something. She thought she heard a faint apology and a few seconds later the dust storm settled. Shaking the dust off, she turned around and looked for her opponent but he was nowhere to be found. "Coward! Come back here!"

His voice suddenly echoed out from thin air. As if the wind was carrying the message to her, he replied, " Do not involve yourself in things you do not understand, foolish girl. It is interesting that you posses the power to dispel evil, however,that power is nowhere as strong as the Holy Stone. So let me give you a warning, you're no match for me when I'm at full strength. I'll let you live for today but if I find you anywhere within a hundred mile of my castle, I will kill you." And with those parting words, his voice faded from the air.

Greatly angered now, Cassandra raised her fist and shouted at the top of her lungs, hoping that the man would hear her and come back so she could kick his butt to high heavens. "Come back and prove yourself a man if you dare! You're just going to leave like that? Ha! I guess that means I won then! You sore loser!"

* * *

><p>With his right arm limply draped around her shoulders to which she was holding on, as well as her left arm wrapped around his upper body, Talim half carried the injured Raphael and did her best to get as far away as possible from the Greek warrior. Her heart was still pounding from the battle they had escaped from; she looked at Raphael and creases of worry darkened her face as she saw how bad his wounds were. Concerned, she asks, "Raphael, how are you feeling? Should we stop and rest?."<p>

Raphael shook his head and motioned for them to continue walking. The faster they get to his castle the better. The girl he had just fought had the power to dispel evil and this worried him because there's a good chance she would notice that the land and the people around his castle was infected, which means that she might try to get in his way and cure them. This was bad if she made it to his castle and if he was absent, she might hurt Amy. He wanted to be with his beloved daughter again and make sure she's safe. Of course, his mindless minions would prove more than a worthy opponent against average soldiers but he was never one to take chances.

After they had covered quite a bit of ground, he wondered why Talim didn't mention feeling any evil energy even though they were quite close to his castle. Was she simply avoiding the confrontation or was there another reason? He was reluctant in introducing the subject since he had a feeling she wouldn't take it too well but sooner or later...

"Raphael, are you sure you're alright? You look terrible. Maybe we should stop and rest for awhile," said Talim, looking at her pale companion. She noticed that the shard was giving off a very ominous aura and she was rather concerned about the side effects of using it to help Raphael. Talim did not want to tell Raphael that the evil aura of Soul Edge inside him was slowly but surely consuming his mind; she didn't want to know how he might react. But she was determined to obtain Soul Calibur and fuse it with the power with the wind so that she may be able to heal him before he sank into madness. Grasping the arm around her shoulders a little tighter, they continued walking into the dark forest.

Raphael shook his head and answered, "I'm… fine." For some strange reason the wounds didn't seem to hurt that bad ever since they have possession of the shard. He looked down at the fragment in his hand with interest. It did seem to be lending him its energy and to certain extent it was mending his wounds as well. However, he expected the shard to contain more power than this meagre amount. It was likely that the shard may have slightly been purified in the presence of the Greek warrior.

Taking notice of the time, Raphael observed that the sun was already setting and night was fast approaching. Dark clouds blossomed overhead and a chilly wind swept around them; it was the middle of autumn which meant that daylight was slowly but surely relinquishing its claim each day. The thought made him smiled. Lost in thought, he realized that Talim's was saying something but he missed it. "Sorry, could you repeat that?"

"I said please don't push yourself. If you need to stop then don't hesitate to tell me alright. After all we're friends. I don't want to see you faint from exhaustion if I can help it. Your wife would be very worried to see you in this state," Talim said gently as she adjusted his arm that was resting against her shoulder.

Confused at what she said, Raphael looked at Talim questioningly. "What? I don't have a wife."

Thinking that Raphael was joking with her, she laughed amiably. "Oh? So you don't remember your beloved wife named Amy?" She tilted her head and worriedly put a hand on his forehead when he didn't reply. "Raphael, are you alright? Did that warrior hit you too hard on the head or something? Your wife would be devastated if she saw you in this condition."

Raphael stared at her with a stunned expression on his face. His red eyes were widening in shock and his mouth was slightly open in an 'O' of surprise. Talim nervously wondered if she had said something wrong or offensive to receive this reaction from him. Suddenly, a loud guffaw burst out from Raphael mouth and he began chuckling to himself and holding his hand over his mouth in an unsuccessful attempt to try and preserve some of Talim's dignity. "Wha- what so funny?" Talim demanded.

Looking at the obviously confused priestess, his chuckles turned into outright, uncontrollable laughter. "My- my apologies ma petite. Ahahaha! I should've told you before but-ahahahaha! You assume that Amy was my wife? Hahaha!"

"Well, you've never told me much about her beside the fact that she was the most important person in your life. It was perfectly logical for me to assume that she was your wife!" Talim argued weakly. Ahh! It was very embarrassing for her to have misunderstood, and with Raphael laughing like a crazy maniac beside her ear, she turned a deep shade of red.

Seeing how embarrassed she was, Raphael did his best to stop laughing and after a few deep breaths (punctuated regularly by a few chuckles), the mostly composed (but still amused) Raphael motioned for them to sit by a big, crooked, yellow/orange apple tree ahead. When they sat down, she pulled her knees up to her chest and waited expectantly for his explanation. Clearing his throat, he smiled and said, "Amy is my daughter, my adoptive daughter to be exact. She is the only person in this world whom I can call family and the only one I can trust wholeheartedly. She is my beloved and the only thing I desire is for her to be happy. "

He then went on to explain how they had met and how he had try to secure their future by searching for Soul Edge. But instead, he nearly lost his life in the battle against Nightmare and they became infected from the wounds Soul Edge inflicted on Raphael and the tragedies they had suffered through when the world rejected them because they were no longer human. Raphael looked up at the darkening skies with remorse. "It's all my fault that Amy become infected. That's why I want to obtain Soul Calibur to make a new world for us to live in. This world hates us..."

Talim put a comforting hand on his shoulder and looked at him sadly. "I'm sorry... but please understand that they're not at fault. They're just afraid."

"So you're saying that I and my daughter are at fault here?" he hissed angrily. When she flinched and drew back fearfully, his expression softened and he apologized. "Talim... I'm sorry for lashing out at you. But the memories always seem to bring out the worst in me."

"It's alright. I understand that you must have been through alot." She gave him a sad smile and sidled closer to him. "But I really wish that you could forget about that past and move on. This world really is quite beautiful."

He crossed his arms and sighed. "Words from a naive girl who haven't even seen eighteen winters. I've seen many things Talim, and the conclusion that I've come to is that only power can give you what you want. In the past when I obtained power for my family, they valued me and praised me with honeyed words. As soon as I made a mistake that threatened their status at court, they sent their own soldiers after to kill me, their own kin." He leaned back against the hard tree and his eyes were bitter. "I need nothing else besides Amy and power. Of course, ever since you saved me you've also become very dear to me as well Talim. I've been thinking about your offer to heal us when we obtain Soul Calibur... I've decided to decline. I want that sword to make a new world. Not to be healed." He waited for the angry protest that was sure to come but she merely sat there beside him quietly.

In a small voice she replied, "I had a feeling you would say that. When I first met you, you were cloaked in darkness. Shadows of a tragic secret and past chained your soul and trained you to hate this world. But I sense that there was still a sliver of light left in you that burned strongly. As the priestess of the wind, I have the ability to read the souls of people to a certain extent and know what they're like." She lowered her head and some of her bangs covered her sorrowful eyes. "I have a good friend who's searching for Soul Edge to save his homeland; sadly, I was unable to stop him before he disappeared. Both of your intentions are good and I know what you're both going through. However, I have also seen many people suffer from trying to obtain the swords. I don't want to see anyone else fall victim to those swords... Especially you."

He glanced over and saw her look at him with a heartbroken expression. Her eyes were imploring and her soft pink lips were pressed together in worry. For a minute, he stayed still and and looked at her. Finally, he leaned over and hugged her. In a quiet voice, he whispered, "Talim... thank you."

She stiffened when he hugged her and she awkwardly nodded. His soft blonde hair brushed against her cheek and she could smell the cologne on him once more. Slowly, she relaxed and returned the hug as she wrapped her arms around him as well. "No matter what happens, I will not give up on you. I will do my best to save you Raphael."

Raphael smiled and released her. They stood up slowly and he looked toward the direction of his castle and quietly replied, "Until we reach Soul Calibur, we may continue working together. For your sake, I hope you will succeed in convincing me because I really do like you Talim. I want nothing more than for the both of us to come to an agreement. However, Amy's future is at stake and I shall do what I believe to be best for her happiness..."

A cold wind howled past them and Talim shivered. Something seemed wrong with it and she put a hand on her medallion for comfort. Seeing that, Raphael pulled her towards him and held on to her hand. When she blushed and looked at him with confusion, he said sadly, "The land and people around my castle... are all infected. Stay close to me Talim."

As he expected, her eyes widened and she drew back a step. "No... you don't mean?"

Raphael didn't reply and he slowly loosened his grip on her hand. Talim saw the disappointment in his eyes and hesitantly walked back to her original position. Giving his hand a reassuring squeeze, she said timidly, "I... I want to see."

He looked down at her and asked, "Are you afraid?"

Talim smiled and shook her head. "No... I am only sad."

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><p>Darkwings13: Well, I did promise a longer chap so here it is. Things are about to get really interesting ^^. Thanks for reading. Please review if you have time.<p> 


	8. Castle Life

A cover of sparkling stars twinkled above the dark city as the inhuman villagers pursued their daily activities. Here, the night reigned supreme and all life followed its order. The beautiful moon shined down on them and lights from the houses and torches illuminated the streets as people bustled about. Shadows danced at every corner and soldiers patrolled the area vigilantly. Children with strange yellow eyes laughed with childish delight as they raced past the adults and looked longingly at the sweet shops. Finally, they all noticed the presence of their lord as he came into view with a young girl beside him. A pure aura surrounded her and they tried to avoid her as they all came forth and bowed low. "Master... we welcome your return."

Talim came to a stop beside Raphael and looked at the crowd bowing low before them. The people here weren't much different from anywhere else. Only their pale skins, mellow yellow eyes and a hint of sharp fangs gave away their true identity. Breathing in, Talim coughed in discomfort. The air was stagnant with pure evil energy and the same energy radiated out from the people in sickening waves. Considering the size of the town, more than 200 people were tainted with Soul Edge's power. Talim was starting to feel nauseous by now and she turned to Raphael sorrowfully. "You... did this."

It was less of an accusation than a sad statement but Raphael still avoided her eyes. "Does the truth horrify you?" he asked quietly.

Talim let go of his hand and put it on her chest. "Why?"

Raphael answered coldly, "If Amy and I can't interact with the normal world then we'll change it. These people you see walking before us are now the same as us. They can still go on with their boring daily lives, but now they do it at night and they look for human prey to drink from, which will further contaminate the population around my land."

Talim closed her eyes and clasped her hands together in sorrow. How could something so terrible like this have happened? Her lips quivered as she prayed for the poor souls around her. Their future were so sad and grim... "Why did this have to happen?" Talim whispered sadly. "Why did you have to do something like this?"

He paused momentarily before asking, "Do you regret, meeting such a monster as I?"

To his surprise, Talim looked at him tearfully. "I only wished that I could have met you sooner. Maybe then, something like this wouldn't have happened."

"Talim?" He couldn't believe that even now, she still accepted him. Touched by her compassion and kindness, he placed a hand on her cheek. "Do you realize... how foolish and naive you are? How can you still accept me?"

Raphael wiped away a trailing tear with his thumb and Talim said, "I... I always try to see the best in others. And I promised you that I wouldn't give up on you." She saw some of the villagers whisper to each other in hushed tone of voices and drew away with embarrassment.

Raphael looked at the crowd of people that was gathering around them which was starting to irritate him. "Get out of my sight you useless wretches. You're starting to annoy me."

The townspeople hurriedly obeyed their lord and hastily left while muttering frightened apologies. Talim observed the townspeople strange obedience and asked, "Why do they obey you like that?"

"Anyone that I bite, and anyone that is bitten by someone who was bitten and so on must obey me, it's ingrained in their head and I also have the ability to control them as well. They would much prefer doing what they're told instead of having me resort to disciplining them." He waited for Talim to say something and when she didn't he asked, "Will you... stay with me? Even though you know that I was responsible for all of this?"

Talim nodded. "I said I wouldn't abandon you and I mean it Raphael."

He looked at her worriedly. "But the air around here must be very dark for you." He tilted her chin up and said tenderly, "Look. You're already looking ill. I... I don't want you to push yourself."

"It's alright." Talim stepped back and said, "I'm sure I can make it."

Raphael smiled at the strong and brave girl. "Alright. But remember that I know medicine. If you feel unwell, I can give you something that will make it alittle easier on you." He gave her a pat on the shoulder and signaled for a carriage nearby to take them to his domain. The driver nearly tipped the ride over in a rush to please Raphael. With a slightly sad expression on her face, Talim got into the comfortable carriage and Raphael stepped in after her as well. The driver bowed and whipped the horses and they drove at a swift pace towards the beautiful castle ahead, that watched over the town like an silent sentinel.

Inside the carriage, Talim sat across Raphael and watched as he looked at his castle longingly. With nothing to do, she thought about the events that happened between them and flushed. She was happy that he treasured her but he was acting alittle too affectionate. Absentmindedly, she touched her cheek and looked at him. He was... very handsome but she had never cared about physical appearances. What she liked about him was the fact that he was a strong man who had been through much hardships. His love for his daughter was also very admirable.

She tilted her head and looked at him carefully. After all this time, she felt rather comfortable around him. He was rather quiet most of the time but he did his best to talk to her and understand her. She was also touched at the way he was so protective of her. If only... he treated others and the world the same way he treated her. Talim looked out the carriage window and wondered what was in store for her at his castle.

Raphael rubbed his tired eyes and looked away from the window. He was about to say something to Talim when he noticed that she looked deep in thought as she gazed out the window and idly fiddled with her medallion. The light from outsife illuminated her face and for some reason, he felt unable to look away. Not only was she beautiful on the inside, she was lovely to look at on the outside. He had no doubt that she would be just as beautiful as Amy when she got alittle older. And then... strangely enough, he felt slightly jealous of the man who would get to marry her. Would he care for this treasure as much as he did? What if the man took advantage of her? Wait... if she was a priestess, was she even allowed to marry?

"Talim... errr..."

She perked up and turned her attention to the slightly flustered Frenchman. "Yes?"

"Have you... given any thought to your future?" he asked delicately.

Talim blinked a few times before chirping happily, "Yep."

"So, what do you have in mind?"

Giving him a wide smile, she said, "I want to follow the wind... wherever it goes."

Dumbfounded, he blinked at her. "What?"

Seeing his confusion, she began explaining. "You see, wherever the wind guides me, there's always someone in need of my help. I want to travel the world and see everything that is out there and help everyone I see."

He rested his chin on his hand and braced his elbow against the ledge of the window. "Don't you have someone you like? Or a desire to start a family later on?"

Talim blushed and thought of Yun-Seong. "Sort of... but I don't think he feels the same way about me. And... I... I don't think I'm good enough."

"Ma petite..." He sighed in exasperation. "You're a very beautiful and warm girl Talim. Don't look down on yourself like that. You need to be more confident."

Hearing his compliment made Talim blushed. "You really think so?"

He smirked and nodded. "The words comes from my heart Talim. And... well..." He bit his lips and pondered about his next words. "I've been thinking of how I should repay you my dear. If you wish... I wouldn't mind asking for your han-"

"We're here my lord," announced the carriage driver.

Hearing that, his heart soared and Raphael looked out to see his castle gates before him and he smiled. "Amy... I've returned to you at last."

Talim watched as he hurriedly exited the carriage and she made haste to quickly follow him. In her mind, she was rather excited to meet his daughter. She wondered if she was a small and sweet girl of five. Or maybe she was the same age as her and they could be friends! Running to catch up to the lord of the night, she smiled at how happy he seemed and she looked forward to meeting Amy.

* * *

><p>As she stood in the lobby, Talim felt rather uncomfortable as Raphael's daughter stared at her shrewdly. The girl was dressed in a very gothic Lolita outfit consisting of a fur lined short dress, lace rose choker, lace hose, and small black boots. Her skin was as pale as Raphael and her eyes were the same crimson red. Her hair was tied up by two rose hair bands into two cute and curly pigtails that ended near her shoulders. Wearing a light layer of make-up, Amy looked like the cutest, coldest and most perfect princess in the world. Next to her, Talim felt alittle intimidated but she did her best to put on her friendliest smile.<p>

"Who are you?" Amy asked quietly.

"I'm…Talim. Nice to meet you Amy, I've heard so much about you from your father and it's great to finally meet you in person. I hope we'll get along." Talim held out her hand for Amy to shake and waited.

Amy merely blinked at her. Turning to Raphael beside her, she asked, "Father, is this my new pet?"

Pet? Did she say pet? And with that, Talim looked at Raphael as well. Raphael laughed as if Amy wasn't serious (she was serious) and replied, "Amy dear, this here is a guest. She is a very valuable asset in battle for me so you can't have her as a pet. What happened to your old one?"

"That one didn't entertain me well enough so I got rid of him father."

"Don't worry, I promise I'll find a new one for you soon Amy. Now be a good girl and let me explain some rules for our guest while she's here alright." Planting a brief kiss on Amy's forehead, he waved her off. "Leave us" commanded Raphael, and the servants bowed and left as well. Turning to the stunned priestess, he asked if something was wrong. But he was not ready for her next reaction.

"You asked me what's wrong! What have you been teaching that girl! Don't tell me she sees normal human being as pets does she?" shouted Talim. She crossed her arms and her lips were thin as she glared up at him. But it was rather difficult to be intimidating when you're a foot shorter than your opponent and he merely arched an eyebrow at her behaviour.

"Whatever makes my daughter happy is fine with me," Raphael said while leaning back on a very elegant set of stairs. His castle was richly furnished with red and black tapestries over every window. Thick white carpets were laid over black marble floors and a beautiful gold chandelier holding 3 dozens of candles provided a bright source of light for the foyer. Huge and stunning paintings decorated the wall. She particularly liked the one depicting what looked like a giant pear in a sea of strawberries.

Talim had to admit that she had never been inside a place as lovely as his castle. However, the castle was the same as Raphael. Beautiful on the outside but cold on the inside; she preferred a small and humble home that was modest but cheerful. She shook her head and returned to the conversation. "Being a parent is more than spoiling you child and giving whatever she wants Raphael. I can't stand by and watch her go down the wrong path."

"You're welcome to try Talim. I'm confident that you would be a good influence and if you are able to get her to open her heart to the world then you would have gained a very big step in convincing me to abandon my plans to create a new world." Walking closer to the priestess, he crossed his arms and added, "But I assure you that would not be an easy task. Amy has lived most of her life as an orphan and has seen many terrible things. No doubt it has given her a rather negative view on things. I admit that my domineering personality might've rubbed off her as well, so the chances you have of changing her is slim to zero."

"As long as there's hope then I won't give up."

"Suit yourself ma petite. Now would you like to see your room?" And Raphael motioned for her to follow him. As he opened the door and stepped out, Raphael tripped on a piece of string that was tied tightly across the doorway and fell flat on his face. "Amy must be mad at me," Raphael thought. It had become a bad habit for her to pull these little tricks on him whenever she was angry with him. Standing up, and dusting himself, Raphael continued walking as if nothing unusual had happened. Talim stood there with a rather shocked expression on her face and only followed shortly after when Raphael asked rather impatiently if she wanted to stand there all night.

* * *

><p>As Talim stepped through the door of her 'bedroom', she gasped at the magnificence of the luxuries that greeted her inside. The queen size bed had a beautiful green canopy, her pillows were colored with different shades of brown and green and white, the bed sheets were made of white and olive silk sheets and the headboard were intricately designed with weaving branches of leaves dusted with gold. Green and white curtains draped the three large glass windows which showed a gorgeous view of the courtyard and the gardens. A lovely dressing table sat in the corner with a few cosmetics on it. There were two white couch and two wooden end tables that were arranged around a blazing fireplace. A tasteful viridian colored rug sat in the middle of the white marble floor. The walls were painted a light yellow color and candles were flickering on their holders that were attached to the walls.<p>

"You bathroom can be accessed through this door," said Raphael, pointing to a door that was next the closet that Talim had missed. "You can go anywhere you wish in the castle except for my study. If you need something then just ring for the servants using this bell." And he pointed to a servants call bell next to her near one of the window. "Oh and you may not leave this castle without my permission, or bother me when I'm in my study. And you cannot attempt to heal anyone of their symptoms. It would be a waste of time since they would be bitten immediately by one my other servants who's thirsting for blood."

Talim nodded reluctantly before asking, "Wouldn't they try to drink my blood?"

Smirking, he replied, "My servants wouldn't dare harm you unless they have a death wish. You are my... guest and I will make sure that you are safe every moment you spend here Talim. Besides, your blood is much too pure for us to consume. I should know since it knocked me out for two days, remember? But the thirst can be very unpredictable and hard to control so even with the pure energy you're radiating, the infected citizens outside would attempt to drink you dry. That's why you must stay inside where my minions have been given orders not to harm you."

Sniffing his shirt, he made a face of disgust. "Well that should be everything you'll need to know. If you'll excuse me, I'll need to wash this grime and dirt off. It's almost morning so I'll advise you to go to bed." He turned to leave but then he added, "My apologies but if you're going to live here, then you must follow our schedule, as children of the night."Finished with the long explanation, he turned to leave. "I'll see you tomorrow night Talim."

"Wait!"

Raphael turned back and looked at her expectantly. "Yes?"

She smiled and said, "Good night Raphael."

He chuckled in amusement. Walking over to her, he gave her a hug and said, "Goodnight ma petite." When she asked why he was hugging her, he smiled. "Because you deserve one."

She casually returned the hug and thanked him. When he left, she walked over to the window near her bed and flung it open. With a peaceful sigh, she felt the night breeze come in and caress her face. The presence of the wind helped her relaxed and she began praying. "Wind... guide me and bring peace to those without guidance". Tomorrow, she was going to explore the castle and find out how things work around here. But first she was going to wash and get some sleep.

She placed her elbow blades beside her bedside table and walking to her closet; she opened it and found a nice green night robe decorated with falling leaves. Pulling it out, she proceeded to the bathroom and again was shocked at what laid inside. A big tube filled with hot water had already been prepared for her and white candles lined the outer edge along with some soap and hygiene necessities. After a quick but relaxing wash, Talim put on her night robe and climbed into the soft bed. She discarded her outfit on the couch and made a mental note to ask one of the servants to mend the tears and rips as well as wash it. Closing her eyes, she let the sleep along with her warm blankets wrap around her and slept.

* * *

><p>Talim slept till the moon was halfway in the night sky before waking up in a panic. She rung for a servant and rummaged quickly for something in her closet to wear. Everything in here looked like it was designed to be worn for some extravagant social event, wasn't there something that was a little simpler? She finally found a small frilled dress that wrapped around her bust and shoulders and flowed to her knees, in a rather cute fashion. She found a pair of black heels that weren't too uncomfortable and put them on. Just as she finished, a maid entered, bowed and asked in nonchalant voice "Is there something I can do for you miss?"<p>

"Oh, hi there. Is it alright if you mend and wash my clothes over there? I'm really sorry for the inconvenience. Oh and what time is it?"

"It's almost time for lunch miss. One of the servants will look for you when it's time so you're free to do as you please till then. That's what the master said." Collecting Talim's clothes, the maid bowed and said "These will be returned in a few hours miss, until then please wear the other outfits in your closet. If there is anything that displeases you please tell me. I shall be leaving now miss." And with that, Mary left and closed the door.

Sitting in one of the couch, Talim thought to herself "This feels so strange. I'm really not used to being treated this way and everything is so different… ". She decided to stay in her room since it was almost time for lunch (in the middle of the night) and sat there meditating. She had been meditating for about half an hour when another maid entered and announced that it was time for lunch. Talim quickly got up and followed her to the dining room.

An enormous but elegant oak table dominated the room and there was a lovely red rose bouquet in a white oriental vase that served as a centerpiece. A enormous window gave a splendid view of the starry skies and the white moon. The curtains were red and another candle chandelier hung from the ceiling. A few courses consisting of soups, fish and chicken dishes were sitting on the table. Amy was already dipping some bread into her soup and eating it. Raphael sat at the head of the table, twirling his spoon around in his soup and he waited for her to sit down.

One of the servants pulled out a chair beside Raphael and slid the chair in daintily as Talim sat down. She looked her steaming soup; it sure smells nice. She then looked at the dozen of spoons and was rather perplexed on which one to use. Raphael looked at her with a rather bemused expression and Amy leaned forward, a little interested as well.

"Aren't you going to try our soup a l'ail' (garlic soup) Talim?" Raphael asked.

Embarrassed, Talim picked up a random spoon to which Amy let out a small chuckle. Talim flushed and put the spoon back. Raphael grinned and asked, "Would you like some help?"

Talim nodded and looked at him imploringly. He pointed to the one that was the third to the left and Talim gingerly began spooning her soup. Amy and Raphael followed suit and the three ate in silence. Talim wondered if it was some kind of Europena custom to eat in silence but the atmosphere was beginning to make her feel awkward so she spoke up. "Amy, you look very pretty today. I mean tonight."

Amy nodded and continued eating her chicken. A little discouraged, Talim tried again and asked, "So Amy, how old are you?"

Taking her time to chew, Amy answered curtly, "Fourteen".

Fourteen! Talim was only a year older but the differences in their bearing was like ten years apart. Of course, she was very mature for her age since it took a strong will to read and control the wind. She had also seen many things on her journey as well and understood many things. It also helped that being linked with the wind slowed down her age and enhanced her youth. All those in her village that practiced wind manipulation lived longer than most, that's why there were so many elders and even though her grandmother was fast approaching her seventy fourth birthday, she could still pass to be in her early fifties. Talim looked at Raphael and gauged him to be in his mid twenties or early thirties. However, he wasn't human anymore so she couldn't be sure if his age had been affected. Raphael caught her looking at him and asked, "What is it ma petite?"

"I was just wondering… how old you were. Sorry if I offended you." And Talim began gulping down her soup.

Leaning back in his chair, Raphael asked, "How old do you think I am?"

Talim answered him and he grinned. "You're close. I'm 32. I can assume that you're about 15 or 16 right?"

Talim nodded and fidgeted in her seat. "So what are we going to do today?"

Raphael motioned for the servants to begin cleaning up. Wiping his mouth with a handkerchief he replied, "I'm going to be in my study till dinner. What are you going to do tonight Amy?"

Amy tilted her head and shrugged. "I'll probably paint or draw something."

Addressing Talim, Raphael said, "You are free to do whatever you wish to entertain yourself Talim. If there's something you need, just ask one of the servants. Now if you'll excuse me, I shall be taking my leave".

After Raphael left, Talim asked Amy nervously of she could hang out with her till dinner. She was hoping to become friends with the girl but Amy merely said, "Don't bother me" and left.

Sitting alone at the table, which was being cleaned up, Talim wondered what she should do to kill time. "This is going to be a very long day…. I mean night."


	9. Difficulty in Bonding

Talim tried helping the servants clean up but they shook their heads and said that the master would punish them if he saw that. With nothing to do,she left and wandered around the castle. She had been walking from dark corridors to corridors for about an hour and she tried to memorize the layout of the castle but it soon became apparent that she was lost. "This isn't good," she said to herself. "Why isn't there anyone in this part of the castle? Maybe I should turn back."

Turning around, Talim tried heading back but she had taken so many turns that she couldn't remember which way she came from. There was no wind to guide her in this stuffy hallway so she only had her instincts to rely on. Closing her eyes, she spun in a circle and took the first corridor she saw. Yep, this is going to take awhile….

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, Amy was painting a sun bleach kitty swimming around in chocolate milk. She was enjoying herself when a sudden boom shook the castle and a bit of paint splashed onto her dress. Her two maids gasped and hurried forward to clean her. Amy closed her eyes and thought to herself, "I'm going to find the idiot who made that noise, and I'm going to make them… my new pet." She stood up and brushed her maids aside and headed out of her art room.<p>

At the same time, Raphael was looking over some paperwork and was signing them when the same 'boom' noise was heard by him as well. The ink bottle overturned and black ink spilled over his papers. "Nooooo!" He snatched up the papers and tried to wipe the stains off with his handkerchief but it was useless. Holding the black and soaked papers, he squinted as hard as he could but no words were legible. Flinging aside the useless papers, he left his study with a very crossed expression. "I'm going to have the fool who made that noise drink a whole bottle of ink for this."

* * *

><p>"I'm sorry! I'm so sorry! Please let me help you clean up." And Talim, covered in soot and ashes began wiping every surface she could reach in a panicked frenzy.<p>

The old head cook was covered in flour and coughing heavily from the smoke that was still seeping out from the doused stove. He shook his head and flour drifted around him in a white cloud, "It's alright- cough- miss. Please let us –cough- handle this miss." The other chefs nodded.

Talim shook her ash covered head. "It's all my fault. You were so kind to have found me wandering around and escort me back and yet I've caused you so much trouble. I have to help you clean up!"

"It's not your fault miss. You were only trying to help and it wasn't your fault that you've never used this type of stove before. Please, you should go and clean up; we handle messes like this all the time."

Before Talim could object, the kitchen door slammed open and a very annoyed, paint splattered Amy and angry Raphael stood in its doorway. With the smoke that was blowing past them, it added a dramatic effect to their entrance.

Raphael had met Amy on the way while following a burning smell that seemed to coming from the kitchens. And when they saw the thick smoke that was escaping from under the door they stormed over angrily and Raphael kicked opened the door. Imagine the surprise he felt at seeing what was inside. Talim was covered from head to toe in soot; her big brown eyes looked at him in shock under a mask of gray ash and her dress was slightly smoldering. His chefs were covered in the same soot, his walls were crumbling from the fire that had been burning a few minutes ago and his eyes were beginning to water from the nasty smoke that was swirling around. It smelt like burned fish, plus rotten fruit, added with a dash of gunpowder.

"What's going on in here?" said Amy, crossing her arms and waiting for an explanation.

The chefs and kitchen staff bowed down in fear. The head chef trembled and said "We're so sorry milady, it… was an accident. Please forgive us."

"Do you think an apology will cut it? The entire kitchen will have to be renovated because of this," Amy said crossly.

Meekly stepping forward, Talim looked down and said "It's not their fault… It was me who caused the explosion." She fiddled with her dress and continued, "I was lost and then one their kitchen boys found me and escorted me back. I was curious about the kitchen and so I pleaded with them to let me stay and look around. The stove you have here, well… I've never used this kind before so it kinda exploded."

Amy was about to give Talim some cruel remarks about how pathetic she was but Raphael quickly cut in when he sensed that. 'Well, it seems that this was all just a minor accident. There's no need to push the matter any farther so let's just get this cleaned up. You people can work in the second kitchen after you're done cleaning." Amy gave him a look and he added, "And I'll buy you a lovely new dress ok princess?" Amy grunted in reply and left the destroyed kitchen.

Raphael rubbed his forehead in exasperation. Second night here and Talim had managed to destroy his kitchen and make his daughter angry with him. Oh, and render his paperwork's illegible as well. This was definitely not amusing at all… He glanced at Talim and sighed. "Go to your room and clean up Talim. One of the servants will call you when it's time for dinner. But it'll probably be a bit late because of this….disaster."

She looked away with an embarrassed expression. "I'm really sorry. Ummm, which way is my room again?"

If life would permit him to bang his head on the blackened wall, he would. But as the master of this castle, it would be out of the question so he merely told Talim to follow him (since most of the servants were cleaning up his ruined kitchen) and escorted her back to her room.

As they walked down the dimly lit hallway, he sneaked a glance at her. She seemed rather upset and was unusually quiet. "Talim, are you alright?" Talim bobbed her head in response. With a sigh, he came to a stop. "What's wrong?"

She blinked up at him. "Hmm?"

"I said, what's wrong?" repeated Raphael. When she denied it, he gave her a stern look. "Talim. Just tell me already."

Talim eyes were downcast as she replied, "I seem... to be the bane of your existence."

His eyes widened. "Talim, what made you think that?" He waved his hand at her. "Banish such depressing thoughts from your mind at once."

"But it's... true. Disasters keeps happening to the both of us ever since we've met each other," Talim argued weakly. She scuffed her shoes against the floor in shame. "I'm sorry for causing you so much trouble."

Raphael sighed and took out his handkerchief. He tilted her chin up and wiped at the soot covering her face before saying gently, "Talim... I would gladly have you destroy all my kitchens then lose you."

Talim stiffened before looking away shyly. "I... I thank you for your words Raphael."

With a wry smile, he shook his head and put a hand on her back to nudge her to continue moving down the hallway. "You're welcome."

* * *

><p>Sitting in the tub of warm water, Talim reflected on the events of the night so far and grimaced. She sank down abit till the water was up to her chin and pink rose petals floated around her. She was so out of place here that it wasn't even funny. It was only her second night here and yet she caused so much mayhem that probably even the wind thought it was laughable. "Oh great wind, help me, this is even tougher than fighting off a dozen bandits." Candles resting on the sides of the tub suddenly flickered and danced and she felt more at ease with the wind's reassurance and presence. Smiling slightly, she closed her eyes and hoped that things will get better and she let her body relax.<p>

* * *

><p>Raphael splashed some water on his face and leaned back in his tub of hot water. The steam rising from the water relieved him and he breathed in deeply. "I never want to leave," he thought. He was glad to back home and be with his daughter again. They just needed some time to adjust to their new house mate; after all, Amy wasn't very social so her reaction to Talim was normal. He wasn't too happy with his kitchen being blown up but he could live with it. He was alittle more concerned about Talim right now.<p>

He sighed and splashed some more water on his face. It was partly his fault for abandoning her in an unknown house and thinking that the servants could take care of everything for her. Those idiots were less dependable than he thought. Feeling partly responsible for Talim, he began formulating a plan to make her feel a little more at home in his castle. If opportunity ever presented itself, he would try to have Amy spend a little of time with the wind priestess as well. But whether Amy would come to like her or not is all up to fate. He slid down deeper until the water reached his neck, leaning back against the sides, he relaxed and let the water carry away the tension in his bones.

* * *

><p>The rest of that night passed by uneventfully, Talim had taken her dinner in her room to avoid confrontation with Amy. After dinner, Amy went to finish her painting and Raphael went back to the rest of his paperworks on the castle's maintenances, the area's taxes, etc. A few hours later when the sun was starting to peek up from the East, Raphael pushed back his chair, let out a tired yawn and went to bed. A few night also passed by uneventfully until the third night.<p>

The next night, Talim and Amy were summoned to the library by Raphael. Orders were given to the servants to leave them alone and continue with their daily chores. Sitting in one of the soft red chairs, Talim looked at the shelves of books in wonder. She had never seen so many books. A very intellectual sort of atmosphere was established with earthy colored furniture and tapestries. Occasional splashed of red were subtly added and with the flickering candlelighs, the room was perfect for spending hours and hours absorbed and discovering new knowledge. It was too bad she couldn't read English, French, or Latin very well. Sure she can speak and understand it, but reading it was another thing.

Sighing, Talim just sat there and looked at the stars through the glass windows. Amy was sitting across from her, tapping her fingers on the armrest and waiting impatiently for her father to arrive and explain what was going on. Just as the two young girls were starting to feel uncomfortable, Raphael appeared. He seemed to be holding something behind his back and he wore a big grin on his face.

"What's going on dad?" Amy asked while pushing some hair away from her eyes.

Talim also leaned forward, a little curious as to what Raphael had in mind, calling them here and all.

Sweeping his cape to one side dramatically, he held out a deck of cards with his other hand and said "We shall be playing cards for the rest of the night." He then proceeded to shuffle the cards with great skill and expertise. "After an hour of warming up, we will then move on to making actual bets and gamble. After all, there's really no fun if one cannot win or lose something."

Talim looked at the cards flying through his hand and sat there enraptured. But then she snapped out of it and shook her head. "I' m sorry Raphael, I'm not allowed to gamble."

Raphael merely laughed and waved it off as complete nonsense. "This is one of Europe's best ways for entertainment. Men would discuss the latest news and foster new allies through a small game of cards. The women would flock together and socialize with each other for hours. There is no harm in it Talim. It's all just fun and games."

She merely shook her head again but Raphael could see that she was weakening. All she needed was a little more convincing. Clearing his throat he said "It would be the least you could do for me since you did blew up my kitchen. Which was really expensive... Which needed to be cleaned up and repaired... Which cost even more money... Oh and dinner was delayed for two hours so I went hungry for two hours... "

At that, Talim blush bright red and knew that there was no way out of this. Darn it, he had to play the guilt card. But she did owe him a kitchen so she reluctantly took her cards that he handed out to her and began playing. Amy was already sorting her cards and getting ready to play. Raphael looked at his hand and smiled. A full house, this was starting off rather well if he must say so himself.

* * *

><p>After forty-five minutes of playing, Talim was near tears. If they were playing for real, she would've been bankrupt by now. First, it was rather unfair how she playing against two very experienced masters since they've both been making some very quick and good moves. Amy last move was a straight flush for wind sake. Second, since her parents had banned her from any form of gambling, this was the first time she played. Third of all, she could call upon the wind to find out the cards they were holding, but she wasn't a cheater. But as her losses kept cumulating, she was starting to get very tempted at cheating.<p>

Raphael had explained the rules to her three times and he said all she needed was more practice, but she was seriously starting to doubt this. Amy threw down another winning hand and smirked. Raphael's daughter was definitely not showing any mercy. Talim dropped the rest of her cards on the table and sighed.

"Good job Amy. You've been practicing haven't you darling?" said Raphael while he reshuffled the cards.

Amy just shrugged. "I'm only ahead of you by two points dad. And it didn't seem like you were trying too hard."

"Preposterous. I had my undivided attention on the game Amy. Come, let's play one more practice game before we move on the real deal." And everyone picked up their new hand of cards.

Sorting his cards, he glanced at Talim who looked at her cards with deep despair. The truth was, he would've won more games but he was actually trying to help the unlucky priestess by playing really low cards that she could beat. On some occasion, she did a little better whenever he secretly aided her. But Amy would easily maneuver the game to her advantage. Yep, that was his daughter alright. Hold back for no one was her motto through and through.

After Amy made her move, Raphael threw down his jack and waited. Deliberately making an easy move for Talim to conquer, he leaned back in his chair and observed. Their guest made a happy squeak and threw down a king. Typical, so far she could only handle single and double cards so that was expected. The game ended ten minutes later with Raphael claiming victory. Halfway through, he could see that Talim had no hope in winning so he began playing in earnest and won.

Taking out a new piece of paper to record their new scores, he announced that it was time to start the real game. Talim looked at him, wondering what was at stake. Amy just sat in her chair with her arms crossed. Twirling the quill pen in his hand, he said," Every game is worth one point girls. Whoever wins the most points in two hours will get to decide the fate of the defeated."

The two girls looked at him with big eyes. Talim's young mind was stunned with images of horrible dares such as swallowing a live spider while Amy shot Raphael a look of confusion. Before the girls can burst into objections, Raphael raised his hands to explain." The winner can decide on an activity for all of us to participate in. There are limits of course, to what kind of activity is allowed. So you don't have to look so worried Talim."

"What's the point of doing this father?" said Amy. She did not look very pleased with his idea at all.

"Oh my beloved daughter, you've told me before how you miss me leaving so much and that you would like to spend more time with me. This is the perfect opportunity for a father and daughter to bond," said Raphael.

Pointing at Talim, Amy said, "But why does she have to be involved in this?"

"I thought it would be a good idea for you to befriend a girl close to your age. You know, talk about girl troubles and interests that I wouldn't understand. And as your father and a man, I understand that it would be awkward for you to discuss some things with me so... yeah." And Raphael looked away awkwardly.

Amy flushed and also turned her head away. "I don't need a friend father. We have each other and that's all I need."

"I'm just trying to make you happy Amy. Won't you give it a try for my sake?" said Raphael. It was true that he wanted her to be happy. No matter how hard he had tried, he couldn't get Amy to open her heart and become a carefree and content girl. After they had become infected, he had given up. But now that a thread of hope had presented itself in the form of Talim, he wanted to try once again for Amy's sake. He would do anything to see her smile and have a friend who's honest and trustworthy. Talim was a kind hearted person whom he can trust to be a good friend for his daughter.

Looking down at her boots, Amy pondered her father's request and after a few minutes, she reluctantly nodded. Smiling, Raphael said gently "That's my girl. Anyway, I shall be right back. I just remember that I need to sign something important so you two just wait here for me."

When he left, Talim tilted her head and smiled at Amy cheerfully. "I... I really look forward to getting to know and understand you Amy."

Hate flared up inside the taciturn girl as she heard that. "I don't know what father sees in you. I have never met someone as annoying or as naive as you. You've obviously never suffered any hardships in your life judging by the way you act. You could never understand me..."

To her surprise, the priestess returned a sad smile. "Raphael told me that you two have been through alot of pain and suffering. I know that it will be difficult for you to trust me but... friendship is more precious when more effort is put into building it."

"We are too different, for this to work out." Amy looked away silently. "Hope only leads to disappointment. You'll come to fear us sooner or later... They all do."

"No." Amy watched as Talim had a peaceful expression on her face and gently touched her necklace. "The sun may no longer love you... but I will. I will be the replacement for the sun that I know... you still love. For you and Raphael both."

"You..." Amy pursed her lips but she couldn't help but be slightly touched by her words. "We'll see what happens in the future, Talim."

* * *

><p>Darkwings13: Well, I tried to add some humor in this chapter so I hope you'll enjoy reading it. My deepest apology for taking so long but it was a rather busy week for me. ^^ I give great thanks to NanaliJoci for her supportive review. It got me motivated to finish this chapter so please review and tell me if this chapter's good.<p> 


	10. The Proposal

The tension in the room was high. Raphael, Talim and Amy had been playing cards for the last hour and forty five minutes and the scores were quite evenly matched between Amy and Raphael. Talim had improved at the game quite a bit so she was only 5 points behind instead of 20 points behind like in their practice games. Although she couldn't win by this stage, she's been doing her best to make things as difficult as possible for the other two. It was actually thanks to her that Raphael had managed to win the last game since he had a higher hand than the one she placed before Amy. The three were down to their final game it was Talim's turn again. She placed down a full house consisting 3 queens and 2 three's.

"How... annoying."Amy frowned and searched her hand. At last she found the cads she was looking for and she threw down a four of a kind consisting 4 jacks and 1 ace.

"Sorry Amy, but it looks like I've won," and Raphael threw down his four of a kind consisting of 4 kings and a queen.

Talim sighed and turned to Amy to add in some comforting words. "Well, at least the game itself was enjoyable. Wouldn't you say so Amy?"

"Nobody enjoys losing," Amy replied curtly. Seeing the disheartened look on the priestess's face, Amy reluctantly added, "But I suppose it was rather amusing to some degree."

Talim cheered up when she heard the comment. It looked like Amy was slowly warming up to her and she was feeling quite happy. "I wonder what we'll be doing together Amy..." Talim wondered out loud as she tapped on her chin.

Tossing her hair to one side, Amy answered, "Humph, I guess it'll have to depend on what father has in mind as punishment."

"You two will find out tomorrow when you wake up. It's a surprise and I promise it'll be fun," Raphael said secretly. He looked at the antique grandfather clock in the room and motioned for the girls to go to bed. "It's late girls. The sun will be up soon so get yourselves to bed. You don't want to start tomorrow off with no energy now do you?"

The three left the library and headed to their individual bedrooms. Before they parted way at one corridor, Talim waved and said, "Good night Amy. Good night Raphael." Amy merely nodded and turned to the left to go to her room. Raphael gave her a lazy wave and turned right to head to his bedroom. As she tucked herself into bed, Talim said a quick prayer to the wind for giving her some really good cards for the real games. Maybe that was why she was doing so badly for the practice games.

* * *

><p>As Raphael sat in his king size bed contemplating what kind of activity should he plan for tomorrow, he noticed an invitation on his bedside table. He vaguely remembered one of his maids delivering it to him when he was getting ready for bed and he had placed it there and forgotten about it. With a bored look, he reached over and tore open the envelope and read it.<p>

Dear Master Sorel,

As the mayor of your magnificent and wonderful town, it is my pleasure (and terror) to invite you to our Autumn Festival that the townspeople have voted for to forget the recent warfare that happened a while ago. It was all thanks to your wonderful leadership and skills that casualties were minimum and that the town got a supply of fresh blood for a month. Anyway, as our esteemed and noble leader, we would be honoured if you would attend and be our guest of honour. The event shall be taking place one week from now. If you do not wish to come then we have absolutely no objection my great lord.

Your Loyal Subject,

Mayor Wanderkall

Raphael smiled and neatly began folding the letter. Perfect! He had found the perfect activity for them to participate in.

* * *

><p>The next night...<p>

Talim strolled through the corridors aimlessly before coming to a stop before Amy's opened room. Leaning back, she gasped at the luxuries inside it. A large bed rested against the wall, under a translucent violet canopy. Moonlight shone through the two windows beside the bed and on the floor, giant stuffed animals and dolls sat around the bed and stared at her with glassy eyes. A pretty dressing table sat nearby with a few cosmetics and Talim caught her curious expression on it. Hesitantly, she took a small step in. "Amy? Are you in here?"

"What are you doing in my room?"

Talim nearly jumped a foot in the air when she heard that. Stumbling backwards, Talim flushed and began apologizing. "I-I'm sorry! The door was open and I just noticed and I sort of just leaned in and then I was er looking at your... err... stuffies! And then I-"

Amy emotionlessly held a hand up for silence. When the priestess blushed and stopped talking, Amy sighed. "I did not understand a single thing you just said."

Fiddling with her dark pigtails, Talim gave her a shy smile. "Sorry."

With a shake of her head, Amy said, "Since you're here, you might as well come in."

"Really?" Delight lit up on Talim's face and she looked at the stuffed animals eagerly.

Amy quirked an eyebrow in slight amusement before walking in and pushing the door close. However, she didn't notice that it didn't shut completely and was opened just a crack. When they sat down on the bed, Amy remained silent for a few minutes. Her father had asked her to try and befriend this strange girl and since the request was from him, she should at least make an effort. But what was she supposed to say? Glancing over at Talim, Amy picked up a round baby seal stuffed animal and handed it over. "Do you... like this kind of stuff?"

Talim squealed with delight and snatched the soft stuffed animal. "Wow! It's so soft! And it smells so nice!" She burrowed her face into the adorable object and hugged it. When she noticed Amy's look of surprise, Talim sat straight up with an embarrass expression. "Erm... I'm sorry. It's just that..." Talim stroked the seal fondly and said, "I've never had toys like these."

"Neither did I, before Raphael adopted me." Amy tilted her head and looked at her room. "Everything I have now is thanks to him."

Talim smiled. "He's certainly a wonderful father. I can see that you two are very close and I'm happy that you'll both get to spend some time together before we continue the journey."

"I don't like it." Amy saw the look of confusion on her face and began explaining. "My father needs a strong and capable travelling companion for this dangerous journey. He doesn't need a burden."

Talim looked slightly hurt by the comment but then she nodded understandingly. "I know that it will be difficult to prove my capabilities and I know that... I may not be the best choice. But I will do my best to help Raphael and I promise you, I won't let anything happen to him."

"Words have no value." Amy crossed her legs and looked down at her boots. With a slightly jealous expression, she asked, "Why would he take you with him... instead of me?"

"Because he loves you."

Amy snapped her head up and looked over at Talim with wide eyes. With a smile, Talim handed her back the seal and said wistfully, "I can see the love in his eyes whenever you are with him. And whenever he talked to me about you, I can hear the adoration as well." She closed her eyes and said, "There's nothing more beautiful in this world than the love a parent has for their child... what you two have is very precious." With a sigh, Talim faced Amy and adjusted her seat on the bed. "Raphael doesn't want you to come with him because he fears for your safety. No parent would risk their children's safety in any given situation. Do you understand that, Amy?"

"It's him that doesn't understand!" Amy turned away in a moment of rare anger. "I don't want him to put himself in danger either. Do you know how close he was to dying the last time he tried to something like this? I don't need a new world and I don't need to be accepted by anyone but him. I only want my father... I only want to see him smile and be beside me as time passes." Her red eyes shone with sadness and her shoulders dropped. "I don't want him to leave me anymore."

Talim hesitated slightly before reaching over and giving Amy a hug. Under other circumstances, the taciturn girl would have immediately rejected the gesture but she was too miserable to care right now. Amy felt Talim stroke her hair as she rested her head on the priestess's shoulders and heard her say, "I will help you."

"How?"

Talim smiled. "I will... leave tomorrow night and search for Soul Calibur on my own. When I have the sword, I'll come back with it and heal you two."

Amy sat up in shock. "What are you saying?"

The priestess repeated, "I said I'll go on this journey for you and Raphael's sake. And for the world of course." Talim grinned and dangled her feet over the bed. "I'll leave a note telling Raphael that I left to get him the sword. That way, he can stay here with you and be safe."

"Are you mentally unsound?" Amy said in disbelief. "My father will never allow it and how can someone like you, possibly obtain the legendary sword?"

Amy was slightly taken back when Talim pouted. "The wind has guided me this far and I have the utmost faith that with the wind by my side, I will succeed. As for Raphael..." She winked mischievously. "I'll leave at dawn. By that time, he'll be in bed."

"Why... why are you doing this for us?" Amy couldn't help but doubt the priestess's words even though her eyes were bright and honest. "We are malfested... we're an abomination. You have no reasons to help us."

Talim shook her head. "We're friends. And I'll never let my friends down, Amy." Gently, Talim added, "And I don't care if you two are malfested. It's not your fault and I know that life hasn't been easy for you."

A rare smile crossed Amy's face. "Thank you, Talim. Perhaps my father was right after all..."

Outside the door, Raphael closed his eyes and swept away silently.

* * *

><p>"Darn it... I forgot about the fact that I don't know how to write," mumbled Talim, looking at the piece of white paper before her. She was sitting in bed with her knees up and a quill pen in her hand. Her travelling bag was under her pillow and Amy had discretely prepared a horse for her in the stable. Dawn would soon arrive and everyone would be asleep but she still hadn't finished her note.<p>

A bright idea popped into her head and she began drawing stick figures. The one with the hat was her, the one with pigtails was Amy and Raphael just had a cape. After an half an hour of intense drawing, Talim held up the paper and winced. She wasn't much of an artist and she could only hope that Raphael would understand. She had even made Soul Calibur super sparkly so that he would know it was the legendary sword. A knock on her door made her look up and she quickly stuffed the paper under her pillow. "Who is it?"

"It's me, Raphael. May I come in ma petite?"

"Wai-wait! Just a minute!" Taking off her hat, she hastily placed it on her bedside table as she struggled to let down her hair. At the same time, she released the ropes holding back her light green canopy and it quickly enveloped her bed. Throwing her pink hairbands on the table as well, she pulled the white and olive silk sheets up to her chin and wiggled down in the bed. "Ok, umm... you may come in Raphael."

Slowly, Raphael opened the door and he walked in with a solemn expression. As he strode over, he brushed back the canopy and came to a stop beside the bed. "Why aren't you asleep yet?"

Talim laughed nervously and said, "I had too much desert so it's kind of keeping me awake."

"Really?"

She nodded cheerfully. "Yep."

His red eyes moved from the top of her bed to the bottom a few times until he noticed the strange lump one of her pillow was making. Looking at it carefully, he also saw the piece of paper sticking out from beneath one of them. Next, he glanced over to closet and saw that her nightgown for that night was peeking out from behind some other dresses. Raphael eyes narrowed slightly as he said, "I see..."

Talim gasped when he ripped the bed sheets off her and said, "You like going to bed in this outfit, Talim?" When she struggled to come up with a reply, he sat down on the bed and pulled her against him.

"Raphael! What are you doing!" Talim struggled to push him away as her face burned like mad. "Let me go!"

He ignored her and reached for the pillows she was just lying on. Throwing them away, his eyes narrowed at the travelling bags and at the note. Looking at the young girl he had in his arms, he asked, "What is the meaning of this?"

"I... I was just... doodling. And the bag is full of candies!" Talim lied quickly. "I knew you would get angry with me if you knew I was eating sweets at this time of night so I-"

"Enough." Raphael cut her off and said, "You are a terrible liar, Talim. Do not anger me any further than this."

Talim stilled when she heard his tone of voice. Pressed against him, she slowly lowered her head and reached for the note. Handing it over to him, she replied, "Everything is explained... in here."

Raphael took the note and began scanning it. A few minutes passed and Talim was really beginning to grow uncomfortable as she was inappropriately close to him. She was practically sitting between his legs and one of his arm was around her waist as he continued reading. Once in a while, she would peek up at him but his expression remained unchanging. But then...

"Talim," Raphael looked down at her and gave her a wide smile, giving a hint of his sharp fangs. "This is the most confusing and complicated thing I've ever had to read in my life. What is this?"

Talim flushed red with embarrassment. For a man who loves books, giving her a comment like that must mean she failed miserably with her note. Pointing to the paper, she said, "That's you with the cape, that's Amy and that's me. Now do you understand?"

He shook his head and laughed silently. Finally, he looked down at her and said, "I already heard what you and Amy were talking about. And I just wanted to let you know..." His eyes hardened icily. "That you would have been in very big trouble if you had left my castle in such a fashion."

"Bu-But all the malfested would be asleep," stammered Talim.

Raphael immediately shushed her. "Not another word. If you ever think about leaving my castle without my permission, I shall be very angry with you, Talim. I've already talked to Amy and..."

Talim looked as a sad expression crossed his face. "Raphael?"

"I'm a terrible father, aren't I?" He smiled when Talim vehemently said no and began praising his love for Amy. When she stopped, he said, "I know that Amy doesn't want me to get hurt and she wants me to stay by her side and spend more time with her. I also wished that but until I secure our future, I can't do that. For my daughter's future, I will sacrifice everything I have just so that she can be happy."

"Raphael..." Talim tugged on his shirt and said quietly, "Amy's already happy with you by her side; she doesn't want or need a new world."

"You don't understand," Raphael said angrily. "We're malfested. We'll always be hunted and shunned. Our future is bleaker than the darkest night!" He quickly regretted shouting at her when she flinched once more at his anger. Turning away, he apologized. "I'm sorry for always doing this to you Talim. I... should do better to control my anger."

Talim shook her head and hugged him. "I understand... and I forgive you." Resting in his arms, Talim added quietly, "You are a wonderful father Raphael. Don't ever doubt that. Amy couldn't have been luckier to have met you." Raising her head, she looked into his hesitant cardinal red eyes and smiled. "I'm very glad to have met such a wonderful friend like you as well."

Her gentle words soothed him and he returned the embrace. Why does she always have such a calming effect on him? She always seemed to know what to say to assuage his worries and comfort him. Drawing away, slightly, he drank in the sight of the young girl sitting before him. "She's…. so beautiful", he thought. Her ebony color hair was loose and it fell in a straight curtain around her face like soft silk. Her cheeks were a pale pink and her lips were moist and inviting. Added with the light green canopy above them, it felt almost ethereal as the some of the moonlight shone through. Sitting there with her in his arms, he remembered all the things she had done for him. And now with her trying to make Amy happy, she was willing to risk her safety, go out by herself and fetch Soul Calibur for them. He owed her so much...

Raphael looked at her with a strange sense of nervousness. There was only one sufficient way to repay her and he could not deny the fact that he... quite liked her. Clearing his throat, he held one of Talim's hand in his and asked quietly, "Talim... will you marry me?"

"Raphael?" Talim's heart pounded so fast that she felt almost faint. Did he just propose to her? What! She immediately pulled her hand back and back-crawled away from him. Her back hit the headboards with a thud and she pulled the blankets back up to her chin.

He quickly withdrew his distance and got off the bed. "Forgive me Talim; I didn't mean to frighten you." He quickly added, "I can wait a few years until you're older. After all, my aging has stopped. It doesn't matter to me how long it'll take until you're ready."

"Why are you asking me such a thing?" squeaked Talim. Did he have feelings for her? No, it can't be. The only thing he probably feel for her is gratitude for saving his life. "We-we never had any romantic feelings between each other. We were just friends!" Talim protested.

Raphael looked away. "To be honest, I really wish to repay you, for everything you've done for me. And with your compassion and kindness, I do find you very endearing Tal-"

"No!"

Raphael was taken back when she objected so strongly. He was even more surprised when she leaped out of bed and stomped over to him. "Talim?"

The young priestess looked at him furiously. "If you don't love me, you should not propose to me. It will hurt me deeply if you threw away your life's happiness to repay me." She shook her head and her hair swung back and forth like a curtain. "I don't want or need you to repay me Raphael. Everything I've done for you, was done with my heart. I don't want anything in return, much less your life's happiness."

Raphael was rather speechless at what she was saying. "I... Well, I..."

Talim interrupted him. "Marriage is something beautiful and meaningful. It's to become one with the one you love and be with them until you two grow old together. I would never marry you if this is your reason." When he didn't speak for awhile, she wondered if her words were alittle too harsh. But she was shocked when he leaned down and kissed her on the forehead. "Wha..." Her voice trailed off as he put his hands on her shoulders and just held her against him gently. Emotions flared up within her as they stood there and she could not remember ever feeling this way. No man, not even Yun-Seong, had done something like this to her and she stood there in confusion. But at the same time, she felt strangely warm inside.

"Thank you." Raphael slowly drew away and smiled. "Thank you, for caring so much about me. I give you my words that I will never ask you to marry me unless we both love each other. Forgive me for putting you through such a difficult situation, Talim."

Talim gave him a shy smile and nodded. Together, they both turned towards the window when the first rays of dawn shone through and he watched as she hurriedly walked over and opened the window. Coming to her side, he saw the look of joy on her face. "What are you smiling for Talim?"

She tilted her head and her long eyelashes fluttered up and down as a cool breeze caressed them. "I have missed the light of the sun... it's so nice to see it every once in awhile."

"I'm sorry, for forcing you to live in the darkness with me," Raphael said regretfully.

Talim noticed and she shook her head as she reached for his hand. Pointing to the rising sun in the distance, she said softly, "In my opinion, it's just as beautiful as the moon. I have no regrets meeting you, Raphael." She turned back to him and said, "Let's just enjoy this while we can."

"Yes."

They stood there by each other's side and when the sun revealed its full shining self, Raphael sighed. "It's very late. I'll need to go to bed now." Talim wished him a cheerful goodnight as he left her side. When he closed her door, he leaned against it and let out a deep breath. What were these strange emotions she was invoking in him? With that question stuck in his mind, and unknown feelings in his heart, he made his way to his bedroom.

* * *

><p>The next days passed by in relative peace. Talim was worried that Amy might be very disappointed and sad that the plan had failed but on the contrary, she didn't show any signs of anger or hate towards the cheerier girl. She was actually rather understanding and Talim was greatly relieved. Amy had actually said that even though the plan was unsuccessful, she got to see Talim's true heart and after that, the two had gotten along very well.<p>

They spent alot of time wandering around Raphael's rose garden and Talim loved the beautiful roses. When Amy asked what her favorite flower was, Talim replied that she was fond of lilies. Especially white ones since they have the most powerful fragrance. To her astonishment, Amy told Raphael and they promised her that they would plant some for her as soon as they could. He also had the servants sow some symbols on her hat and when she asked why, he told her that just in case she wanted to visit the town once in awhile, the symbol marked her as his lady and no one would dare harm her. Before she could ask what he meant when he said she was his lady, he had already vanished.

Talim was very touched by how much they cared for her and the three had a relatively good time as time passed. Raphael had even suggested that he would teach her how to read and write. To her embarrassment, he brought up her note and even Amy laughed at the priestess's attempt. But sometimes while Talim was alone, she couldn't help but recall the time when Raphael kissed her on the forehead and held her against him.

As for Raphael, he found himself thinking about Talim a few times as well. She was just so kind and pure and she got along so well with Amy. He was very confused about how he felt about her. He had never felt this way before and he wondered if it was simply gratitude or... something else. Love? That emotion was foreign to him except for Amy. But his love for her was a father's love. For Talim, was it something else? It was so strange. Not only was she young, but she was so different from him. They were from completely different cultures and different lifestyles. Resting his face in his hands, he thought about her necklace and whispered, "As different as the sun and moon..."

* * *

><p>Five days later...<p>

Finishing his steak, Raphael wiped his mouth with his handkerchief and finished, "So we're going to be spending tonight going to the Annual Autumn Festival. Does anyone have any questions?"

Amy's pale hand shot up and she asked, "Why? You hated the festival last year father."

"Well, the last mayor was a moron. This new one seems to be much better." Taking out the letter of invitation, he showed her what the new mayor wrote.

Amy nodded in approval. There was evident respect (and fear) in the mayor's writing. Amy said with some resignation, "Well, I'm going to find a costume to wear then. Do you want me to handle your outfit as well father?"

Raphael nodded. "There's no one with a better taste in style than you Amy. Is it alright if you design something for our guest as well?"

"Oh, you don't have to Amy. I don't want to cause you any trouble," said Talim.

Amy waved away her worries. "Don't worry about it. I already have something in mind Talim."

Talim nibbled on her lips and twiddled with her fingers. She tilted her head to look at the window and one of the servants quickly brushed back the red curtains for her so that she could estimate what time it was. "But, is there even enough time for to make me an entire costume Amy? I don't think you'll have enough time." Next, Talim gasped. "Wait! How long are we going to be up? It's not good for you and Raphael to stay past your bedtimes."

Raphael nearly snorted his wine up his nostrils and he tried to hide his laughter as he coughed. Imagine that; a younger girl worrying about his bedtime.

"I'll make adjustments to an outfit I have instead of creating something entirely new so it'll be fine." With a slightly playful smile, Amy commented, "You worry too much. At this rate, you're acting as if you're my mother."

Talim looked rather offended but Amy found it more hilarious when her cheeks puffed up like a chipmunk and she pouted, "Am not. But please, finish your vegetables Amy. It's good for you." Talim looked at Raphael's plate and added, "You too Raphael. Those carrots should not be wasted."

This time, Raphael really did snort wine up his nostrils.

* * *

><p>One hour later...<p>

"You've really outdone yourself Amy. C'est parfait!" Putting on a red decorated masquerade mask, the costume was complete. He was wearing a open deep V blue shirt that showed his toned and fit upper body and a leather was looped from one shoulder to the opposite side of his waist. A symbol adorned the back of the shirt and a pair of white pants and knee high brown boots graced his long legs. Leather gloves with metal guards was worn on his hand and a red piece of belt fabric was wrapped around his waist and it trailed a few inches down his right side. The last accesory was a simple necklace with a flat gold circle.

"I call it The Dueler's outfit father. It was designed to be worn for a duel where you can fight in style in front of an audience," said Amy. Turning to Talim she asks "Well, I must say I did a pretty good job with your costume. Wouldn't you say so?"

Talim looked at the outfit she was wearing and she couldn't really find the words to say how she felt about it. She was dressed up like a kitty cat, wearing a blonde wig that had two high long and braided pigtails that was tied with some furry hair bands. Kitty gloves that had kitty paws and bells and kitty boots wrapped around her arms and legs. She wore a sleeveless shirt that had a big gold clover on the front that was quite soft and a big cat belt was tied around her waist. A small kitty paw bag was attached to the belt near her right side and she wore a revealing skirt that felt more like two long fabric loosely wrapped around her with one piece fallingin front of her and the other piece that fell behind her was decorated with a bell and ribbon. This revealed most of her leg and she was afraid someone could see her undergarments. The whole outfit was colored with lovely different shades of yellow with some green gems on her kitty gloves and boots. "You see me as a cat?"

Amy nodded with another playful smile."Yes actually. Your body is small and lithe like a kitty so I designed this costume using a kitty as the base. Based on my father's comment about your battle style, you like to leap around alot so I immediately thought of a cat."

"But why do I have to wear a blonde wig?" asked Talim, pointing to her newly golden blonde hair.

Amy shrugged. "It goes well with the outfit. Also, it wouldn't be good to have the townspeople know you're not from Europe. They're a noisy bunch and it might cause trouble."

She had to admit that the outfit was really cute. And Amy had went to alot of trouble to make it for her so she said gratefully, "Thank you very much for this beautiful costume Amy." Her eyes sparkled as she added, "You're really talented with this kind of stuff."

"You're... welcome." Amy blushed slightly at the compliment before asking them to leave so that she could change. After they left, Amy turned back to the task at hand, her costume. Inside, she was secretly eager for the festival and in some ways, she was glad her father had won the card game. And of course, met Talim. After all this time, he finally brought her something she had wanted. A friend... not a pet. But then she giggled slightly when she remembered that she had dressed Talim up as a kitty.

* * *

><p>Darkwings13: Maybe the proposal would have worked if Raphael had a ring... ;D<p>

I mean if the dude I loved propose to me without a ring, I might kick him in the shins. xD


	11. Annual Autumn Festival

Dressed in her normal dress, but it was white instead of the usual dark purple, Amy was also wearing a pair of beautiful butterfly wings and in her hand, she grasped a big magic wand. Talim thought she looked like a pretty fairy from a fairytale and she ran over to compliment her on her outfit. "That's a beautiful outfit! Are you a fairy, Amy?"

"A fairy princess," Amy corrected.

Raphael beamed with pride at how lovely his daughter looked. "As beautiful as always my sweet daughter. Come, the festival started twenty minutes ago, we should get going" said Raphael. And they made their way to their carriage that would take them to the town below.

* * *

><p>"Wow, everyone is so cheerful and energetic!" exclaimed Talim, spinning around to look at all the people and activities. There were torches lit everywhere and so the town was covered in a warm yellow and orange glow. There were tables of food every few feet and merchants displayed masks and other festival goods. Young couples holding hands walked by and laughed with each other. The atmosphere was very cheerful indeed. But there were very few people in costume and she pointed this out to Amy and Raphael. "Why are we the only ones wearing costumes?"<p>

"We're going to be the judges of a costume contest that will be starting sometime this evening," explained Amy. "It's natural that the judges wear costumes as well."

"What? But I have no experience with this kind of stuff," cried Talim.

Raphael patted her on the head. "Don't worry about it. Just give the same marks that Amy and I give. Oh here comes the mayor." Sure enough, a short and chubby man wearing a pumpkin costume along with an orange mask came up to greet them. His hair was an auburn red that was beginning to thin near the middle and he seemed like the type of man who laughs easily at anything since there were quite a few laugh lines on his face. Too bad he seemed to be kind of terrified at the moment. "How long were you going to keep us waiting?" barked Raphael.

The mayor bowed quickly and apologized. "I'm so sorry my lord. There was something I had to take care of- "

Raphael interrupted him. "I don't care what kind of business you needed to take care of. I'm in a pleasant mood right now so I'll let it go for today." But then Raphael showed a hint of his fangs as he smiled threateningly. "But try this stunt again next time and you'll regret it. Understood?" The mayor quickly bowed a few times and apologized again. "Now, stop wasting my and take us to the podium," said Raphael.

Following the mayor, Talim leaned over and asked Amy what they were doing for tonight. Amy answered, "The mayor's going to announce our arrival, the people will cheer, father will say a short speech, we'll take our places as the judges of the costume contest and then we'll spend the rest of the night doing whatever we please."

As they got up the stage in the middle of the town square, the people stopped their celebration and turned their full attention to their master. "Ladies and gentlemen, it is my pleasure to announce the arrival of our great lord, Raphael Sorel and his daughter, our beautiful lady, Amy Sorel," announced the mayor. A thunderous ovation was given to the two and they waved at their people. Talim felt a little awkward as she stood beside them but she was happy that Raphael and Amy seemed to be enjoying the attention and power.

Motioning for the crowd to quiet down, Raphael spoke up. "I want you all to give my lovely companion over here," and he grabbed Talim's hand to bring her to the front with him, "The same warm welcome as well. Lady Talim! " And the crowd obediently applauded and cheered her name as well. Blushing, Talim waved back and smiled.

After all this time, if... Raphael still wanted to make his new world when they reached Soul Calibur, she wasn't sure if she had the will to stop him. She knew that was the right decision but it still made her sad that she would have to choose between him or the world. No, there was still hope that he would listen to her and let her heal them instead. But… would the people who were clapping for them fight against Raphael when he no longer had the ability to control them?

Amy noticed that Talim seem distracted so she nudged her. Talim eyes regain their focus and she turned toward Amy. "What is it Amy?"

"You just seemed distracted," Amy replied observantly. "Is something wrong?" Amy did not believe Talim when the priestess cheerfully denied it but she let the subject drop.

"So enjoy yourselves tonight and celebrate." And Raphael ended his speech which Talim had missed. The people returned to their merry making and music and laughter filled the streets once more. Turning to the mayor, Raphael told him to lead the way to where the costume contest was being held.

Walking beside Raphael, Talim poked him. When he turned to look at her, she smiled and said a shy thank you.

Raphael returned her smile with one of his own. "You're welcome Talim."

Amy saw the look that passed between them and wondered if they were more than friends. She didn't quite care about their age difference since it was not unusual for girls their age to get married, and there's also the fact that her father no longer age like normal humans. But she must admit, ever since he met Talim, her father seems to be much happier. She was also very pleased to have such a nice friend; however, she wasn't sure how she would feel about them being in a relationship. "Come on dad, we're going to be late". And Amy grabbed Raphael's arm and dragged him behind her.

* * *

><p>At the judge table, Raphael sat in the middle seat with his arms crossed and a bored expression on his face, which was partially hidden by his mask. Amy sat to his left with her chin resting on her hand, waiting for the contest to begin. Talim sat on his right and was happily drinking some sweet apple juice. In her other hand, she held a chocolate covered apple stick which had a few bites on it. "Are the contestants ready yet?" Raphael asked impatiently. The mayor asked his assistant beside him and she shook her head.<p>

"My de- deepest apologies mi' lord. One of the contestants is having some problems getting into her costume. She had a few too many deserts…"

Great, his precious time was being wasted because some idiot had too many chocolate covered apples or whatever. Raphael gave a loud sigh of exasperation. "We're not wasting any more time, understand? Get them moving before I get out of this chair and do it myself."

"Raphael, please calm down. It's a festival, remember?" reminded Talim as she shook one of her finger at him. "We're here to have fun so let's give them a few more minutes. Want a bite?" she asked, offering the side of her apple that she had not bitten yet.

Raphael sighed and said," You have chocolate on your chin ma petite."

"Oh?" Talim wiped at her face and asked, "Is it gone?"

"Sit still for a second." He took out his handkerchief and wiped it for her. When he finished, he mused, "You're still quite childish sometimes..."

Talim blinked at him for a few seconds before turning around in her chair. "You're not getting the apple now."

Amy and Raphael both laughed. "No thank you ma petite." Addressing the mayor, he told him, "Two minutes and no more, understand?"

Bowing in thanks, the mayor ordered his assistant to rush the contestants to hurry up. Time passed and Raphael began mentally counting the time. "One… Two… Thr-"

"We're ready master!" yelled a relieved looking mayor. The mayor cued the band to start playing some music and the torches that were far away was extinguished until only the torches that were near the stage were lit. An audience quickly started gathering behind the judge's table and it seemed like this was the main event during the festival since the majority of the people were here.

Talim watched as the first contestant stepped out from the curtain wearing a witch costume with a big brim witch hat. But instead of wearing the usual witch dress, she wore a tight blue shirt that was intricately woven runes on them. The sleeves were long and flowed behind her arms. Wearing long black boots with silver buttons near the top with pale ivory pants, they two colors contrasted nicely. A short blue cape hung behind her and she held a wooden wand in her right arm and bowed to the audience. Reading from the list of name in his hands, the mayor announced, "Our first contestant is Gina Haska, her costume is titled Night Witch, what marks will our judge bestow on this worthy contestant?"

In answer, Amy raised a score of 7 and Raphael raised a score of an 8 number board. Talim thought the outfit was alright; the intricate runes and color coordination was good though so that added some points and she gave a score of 8 as well. This continued for about an hour in which twenty contestants (including some really cute costumes worn by four kids) had shown their outfits and were now waiting on one side of the stage to see who the winner was.

The last contestant was dressed as undead bride and this was definitely the case of where the best went last. Mrs. Semina was actually the dressmaker of the town so it was really no surprise that her wedding dress was absolutely gorgeous. Her wedding veil was shot through with sparkling gold thread that hang down to her waist. With her gruesome make-up that made her look actually like a zombie, she seemed like a beautiful zombie bride from one perspective, and from another perspective it was demonic apparition. The entire outfit so well done that the audience applauded for her loudest when she went on stage.

She got three perfect tens from the judges and was given a beautiful bouquet of flowers along with an award of money from Raphael who kissed her hand and said, "Good job". The torches were relit and the crowds disperse to continue on with other night activities the festival still has to offer. Leaving the mayor to clean up, Raphael went back to the table and asked them what they should do next.

"Let's go see how big the biggest pumpkin is this year father. We can get some pumpkin pie as well so it's a double win," suggested Amy, wondering on how it'll taste this year. The trio agreed and made their way to see how big the pumpkin was this year.

* * *

><p>Talim gaped at the size of the majestic vegetable. It must weigh more than her and Amy combined and was about her height. The fact that the table didn't break yet was almost like a miracle. Raphael knocked on the vegetable hard surface and announced that it was perfectly ripe. "Too bad we can't eat it since it's supposed to be on display," Talim said wistfully.<p>

Raphael smirked and said, "Oh, you'll get to eat it later Talim. But for now, we can eat these instead." And he handed Amy and her a piece of pumpkin pie from the pie table that was beside the display. They walked around enjoying the sight when Talim suddenly stopped at what looks to be an eating contest. It was held by a big burly man somewhere in his forties who was calling for participants. Talim ran up to him and asked what the rules were. The man let out a loud and cheerful laugh. "You and a partner will verse two other similar groups. Which group that manages to finish their roasted turkey first will be rewarded with this beautiful necklace." And he held out a delicate gold flower choker with a green gem in the middle.

"Wow! It's so pretty," gushed the ecstatic priestess. But then she noticed how big the turkeys were and her eyes grew round.

Amy pushed through and stood beside Talim. "You should enter. That necklace would match perfectly with your outfit."

"But I'll never be able to eat that much" Talim whispered back.

By this time, Raphael had caught up to the two girls and caught on to the last snippets of their conversation. "Well then, you wouldn't mind teaming up with me than Talim. I haven't eaten anything yet so I have quite a bit of room to finish that turkey off."

"Hmm? Are you sure about this Raphael?" She looked at him thoughtfully. "You usually don't like this type of stuff."

Raphael crossed his arms and tilted his head at her. "But don't you want that necklace?"

Talim looked at the necklace. She then looked at the giant turkey sitting on the table and gulped. A gentle wind blew past her, bringing with it a wonderful smell of the roasted turkey to her and she made up her mind then. "Alright, let's do this Raphael."

Before starting, Raphael warned the other competition that if they held back for him, they would feel his displeasure. The other contestants consisted of a big strong couple who were most likely farmers. And the other group consisted of a lanky teenager and his friends who was really….big. Picking up her forks and knife, Talim was ready. "On your marks… Get set…GO!" shouted the man hosting the contest.

"This is rather undignified…" thought Raphael as he sliced up the turkey and began eating. It's not like there was some way to look fancy while you're shoveling turkey down your throat at an unhealthy rate so there was really no use in complaining. Why did he offer to do this again? Glancing over at the priestess who was struggling to swallow a mouthful of turkey, he sighed. Only for her and Amy, would he do something like this. And he picked up speed in consuming the large bird.

* * *

><p>"We're not… making… any progress… Raphael," Talim panted as she struggle to eat her next piece of turkey.<p>

She was right; they were barely making a dent in the stupid bird. Looking over at their competition, Raphael groaned. The couple was starting to struggle halfway but the teen boys were actually doing really well. Who knew that the lanky kid could eat as much as his bigger companion. The crowds were cheering and making bets on who would win and Amy waved at him. "You can do it dad!"

That's right, he was the lord of the night, the master of these people, and he would not lose in front of Amy. There's no way he would let a dead bird get the best of him. He viciously stabbed the turkey and swallowed.

Talim watched Raphael's sudden burst of determination and felt that it was also up to her to put in her best efforts as well. "I can do this," she thought. She open her mouth wide open and spooned as much turkey as she could and chewed furiously.

Their host commented on the progress of the contestants every once in awhile and put in words of encouragements whenever possible. "Well, I must say this is getting quite exciting. Our master and his lovely companion are starting to catch up. Our second group seems to be running out of steam but nonetheless they're still going. And our last group is certainly pushing their older competitions to the limits. Why, I wonder how their families managed to feed these young boys." The crowd laughed and applauded.

The contest continued onward until the couple gave up. The only had about fifteen more pieces of turkey left. The two boys had about seven bites of turkeys left and as for Talim and Raphael, they had about twelve more bites left. "Why is it… that whenever you have a few pieces… of food... left… that you feel like… vomiting?" Talim huffed. She wiped away the sweat with her kitty gloves and shook her head dismally. "I can't eat anymore."

"We… can't give… up now… We're so close," panted Raphael as he ate another piece of turkey. "I'm never going to eat turkey again," he vowed silently. All turkeys in this world should die. With a groan, he glanced over at the competition. The two teen boys were experiencing the same symptoms as them and the lanky one actually looks a little green as he chewed his turkey.

Sweat dripped down Talim's forehead as she struggles to swallow her spoonful of turkey. Amy shouted, "You guys are so close! You can't lose now!" She usually didn't let her emotions show like this, but this was a definite exception.

Raphael looks at the two remaining piece of turkey left on their dish and suppressed the urge to vomit. He then glances over at their competition and notice that they had the same amount on their dish. With trembling fingers, he stab one of the piece and ate it. "I think I'm going to be sick," he thought. "Talim… can you eat… that last piece?"

Talim merely shook her head and held her stomach in pain. Over at their competition table, the boys started fighting over who should eat the last piece. "You eat it! I ate most of it near the beginning" shouted the skinny one.

"You liar!" retorted his partner. The crowd booed at their behavior and lack of camaraderie.

Holding on to his French pride and his manly pride, he decided he couldn't let Talim eat that piece. Knowing that she would probably throw up on him as soon as it touch her mouth, Raphael bravely reached for the last piece and popped it into his mouth. The crowd went silent as they watch him chew. When he finally finished, they let out a thunderous roar and applauded. Their host handed Raphael the necklace and complimented him. Talim and Raphael got off their sluggishly and headed toward Amy who gave her father a hug. "You did great dad."

Raphael was about to say something when he felt his stomach rebel against him. He shoved the necklace in Talim's hand and ran off to find the bathroom to puke his heart out. "Walk around and enjoy yourselves! I'll hurgh… find you later!"

* * *

><p>From among the shadow behind one of the houses, a girl dressed in an evil but cute clown costume watched the scene with some amusement. A black raven was perched on her shoulders and she absentmindedly stroked its head. So that was the man her watchers were telling her about; the one who was after Soul Calibur. Well, anyone that goes after that sword must be eliminated. "I can't wait to see him in pieces," cackled Tira as she withdrew, for now…<p>

* * *

><p>After putting the necklace on, Talim and Amy wandered around looking at various entertainments and festival goods. Talim kept glancing back for Raphael and inside, she felt rather terrible at causing him so much inconvenience. "I should get him something as a thank you gift," she thought. Talim reached for her money in her kitty paw bag and started counting.<p>

"Do you want to buy something?" Amy asked with interest.

Talim nodded with a bright smile on her face. "I want to get your dad something to thank him for everything he's done for me. Do you want me to get you something as well Amy?"

"No, it's alright." Amy looked at the many merchant stalls lined up and down the street with interest. "My father has always been interested in medicine and the rapier. You could try to get something for him in those categories." When no one answered her, Amy turned around and before she knew it, Talim was gone. Panicking slightly, she looked around hastily. "Talim, where are you?"

"Over here!" Talim hollered as she waved her hands up for Amy attention.

When Amy ran over, she looked at the items Talim bought with puzzled eyes. "You bought my father... animal stuffies?" When the priestess chirped out a yes, Amy said slowly, "I think the turkey has affected your head." Amy was taken back when Talim's eyes started watering and she said, "I mean... it's really cute. Did you get a good deal?"

Talim then winked at Amy. "I was just kidding."

Amy's shoulder dropped and she stuck her bottom lip out at her. "Aurgh, how old are you again?"

Talim giggled for abit before perking up and she looked at her handful of stuffed animals. "The bat is for Raphael. He seems to like them since all of his clothes have them...For myself, I bought a stuffed kitty since it looked really really really cute. I also bought you something as well Amy." She wiggled out a smiling butterfly and a cute wolf and handed it over. "The merchant gave me the wolf for free since I bought so much stuff. Here you go!"

Amy took the stuffies out of her hand and gave them a wry smile. "You're a really strange person, Talim."

"I'll take that as a compliment," laughed Talim. "Anyway, let's keep looking around until Raphael comes back."

After awhile, they came to a small group of musician who was performing for the crowds who were clapping and dancing to the music. As they stood there and enjoyed the lively songs, Raphael appeared before them, looking much better after he had thrown up a few pounds of turkey. Amy greeted him warmly, "Welcome back father."

"It's good to back darling," said Raphael as he patted Amy fondly on the head. To Talim, he said, "Well, it looks like all the effort wasn't wasted after all. That necklace suits you quite well ma petite."

Talim blushed. "Do you really think it looks good on me?"

"Of course I do." He suddenly noticed the round stuffed bat Talim was holding and his eyes widened. "What is that?"

"Oh yes! This is… a small gift for you..." stuttered Talim as she held out the bat for him. Slightly embarrassed, she averted her eyes and said shyly, "I noticed that you seemed to like bats so... maybe I'm being silly but it was just so cute and when I saw it, I thought of you and I thought you might like it and... I'm not making any sense am I?"

He shook his head. "For me?" Taking the stuffed animal, Raphael gave her a charming smile. "Ironically, my parents have never bought me much toys. I was schooled and trained to be the Sorel heir ever since I could remember. So you're actually the first one to get me something like this."

Amy looked rather astonished at what her father said. "Father?"

He gave Amy a slightly sad smile. "I promised myself that I would not be like them when I adopted you, my beloved Amy. Anything you want, I will grant." Back to Talim, he gave her a small bow. "You never cease to make me happy Talim. Thank you."

Talim blushed and replied, "I'm glad you like it. I thought I was being silly in getting you something like that."

Raphael put a hand on his heart and gave her a small smile. "Anything that you get me, would make me happy. Except for carrots."

The three burst out laughing and talked to each other amiably before Amy pulled at her father's arm and gestured to the musicians. "Let's dance father. We haven't danced together in a very long time."

Raphael reached for his daughter's hand and grinned. "As my beloved wishes."

"Wait." Talim came up with an idea and she looked at two of the players who were playing the ocarinas. "Can you dance to any type of music Raphael?"

He thought about it carefully and answered, "As long as the music is skillfully played then I suppose so. I can step to the varied beats of the melodies and make it look good enough."

Talim grinned and went to the two ocarinas players and ask if she could borrow their instruments. Recognizing her as their lord's companion, they handed it over without questions. Talim then went to the rest of the players and told them to follow play their music to accompany hers. The stopped playing and waited for her to start. The crowd stopped as well and waited for the music to resume. Whispers such as, "What is she going to do?" pervaded through the air as the young girl cheerfully skipped to a stop.

Holding the two ocarinas in her hand, she took a deep breath and began to dance and swing them around. To everyone's surprise, beautiful melodies came forth from the instrument. Using her ability to control the wind, Talim weaved a web of musical notes around her. Dancing a bit faster, the music she played was filled with an energetic and joyful beat. The flute player joins in and thrilled a sweet high note and the drums added in their melodies as well. Talim smiled brightly and her long blonde pigtails swung with her as she danced and she mouthed to Raphael, "Come on, dance!"

Raphael laughed and he and Amy gave their items to one of people and stepped into the circle to begin dancing. With coordinated steps, they moved to the right and back in sync with each other. The rest of the musicians added in to the music that was growing louder and louder and the crowd clapped and danced as well. Amy eyes sparkled as she did a tap dance, leaped backward and she pivoted to the right, balanced on one leg. Raphael tap danced as well but his was slower but more powerful. He spun to the right and twirled Amy around and laughed. Letting go, he and Amy move into their unique dance that was both beautiful and balanced. Raphael's moves were masculine and strong while Amy's was graceful and quick.

Talim was glad to see them so carefree. It was rare to see them let go of their chain of control and just enjoy themselves. As the music reached it crescendo, the people danced with more passion and unrestraint. For the finale, Talim had the melodies flow to their utmost potential and watched as Raphael tossed Amy into the air. With her arms outstretch and her wings, she looked like a butterfly against the night sky. Catching her elegantly, Raphael lowered his beloved daughter down to the ground and they bowed for the crowd that was cheering loudly. Talim wiped away the beads of sweat on her forehead and returned the instruments. After thanking the muscians, she returned to Raphael and Amy who had their items back. "That was magnificent Talim!" compliment Raphael.

"Thanks. I'm so glad you guys enjoyed it," Talim said happily.

"You were… very good," Amy added. "And let me tell you, I rarely compliment anyone."

Talim smiled at thanked her as well. Raphael looked at the moon and said softly, "We still have a little bit of time left, would you care for a dance Talim?"

Her face grew warm as she nodded and reached for his hand. As their hands touched, Talim immediately froze as the wind rushed past her. Up in the heavens, dark storm clouds started to gather and the awakening rumble of thunder could be heard. Raphael looked up in disdain and huffed, "Why must it rain now?" He looked at Talim and noticed that she was rather pale. "Talim? Are you alright?"

"No..." Talim backed away and shook her head. "It's not rain." She turned around as another gust of dark wind hit her and she gasped.

Amy and Raphael rushed to her in worry. "Talim!"

"Aaaaaaaahhhhhhhhh!" Talim shrieked and fell to her knees. She held her head in pain as images and screams of dying people surrounded her. Trying her best to focus the terrible images that the wind brought her, she realized that they were all Raphael's people. His people's eyes glowed with their thirst for blood and they fought with inhuman strength but they were outmatched. As they lay dying, evil energy disperse from their body into the air and blood soaked the streets. Soldiers hacked and slashed at them mercilessly and she watched as a child was stabbed and killed. She realized that the soldiers had purified themselves and their weapons, which was why they were so strong against the infected populace. The last thing she saw was their leader; a girl encased in silver armor wielding a short sword and a lance, the greek warrior they previously fought, and a funny-looking moustache man. And all three were looking at Raphael's castle!

Raphael held the trembling priestess in his arms and cried, "Talim! Talim! Look at me! Look at me! What's wrong?" He held her hand and realized that it was ice cold. What in the world was happening to her?

"Raphael… danger… danger…" Talim murmured weakly with the last of her strength. Her eyes slowly closed as she fainted and her hand slipped out of his.

Holding on to Talim's limp body, he yelled for a carriage. The people hasten to fulfill their master's orders when suddenly, a horseman tore though the street and stopped in front of Raphael. Sliding off his horse, he bowed and gasped, "My lord! I bring terrible news!"

"What is it! Spit it out already!" Raphael shouted.

"The army of Wallachia is back. They've also requested aid from Wolfkrone who are now fighting alongside with them. Woflkrone soldiers are well-trained against fighting evil energy in the past and their princess has also been said to have never lost a battle. Our people are dying!" cried the soldier.

Frustration and anger welled up inside Raphael and he vowed that we would kill them all. "How far are they?"

"They're still a few villages away my lord," replied the frightened soldier.

Holding Talim in his arms, he leaped on to the horse and help Amy up behind him. His daughter wrapped her arms around his waist securely and held on tightly. He turned back to the soldier and commanded, "Go quickly and gather up a few men and bring this news to the other villages and towns. Get their men armed for battle. I will join the battle as soon as possible. Go!" Kicking the horse on its side, Raphael urged it to go faster to return to his castle. He looks down worriedly at the pale priestess in his arms and gnashed his teeth. Wallachia and Wolfkrone will pay dearly for this. "We'll see whether the wolf or the bat, will come out victorious" he thought vengefully.

* * *

><p><em>Calamity follows the union of those who were fated to meet but never be together...<em>


	12. Hildegard is Abducted

Cassandra looked at the destruction their soldiers were wrecking on the villages below and felt a strong revulsion at what they were doing. "Hilde! This is wrong, you must tell them to stop!"

Hilde looked at the same scene and also felt disgusted with what they were doing, but they had promised Wallachia their assistance. As the sovereign, she could not go back on her words. "I'm sorry Cassandra. But we have no choice, if I had known that this was going to happen I would've never agreed to this." She shook her angrily at her mistake. A general of Wallachia had traveled to Wolfkrone bringing news that a terrible infestation of monsters was destroying their people and their country. He had said that these monsters drank the blood of innocent humans and infected them and that more than a quarter of Wallachia's populace had fallen to this terrible affliction and the rest watched with fear as the numbers increased. The king had tried to destroy them but the battle went terribly and many of his soldiers were capture and killed. The only hope they had left was to turn to Wolfkrone for aid since their soldiers were experienced with fighting such evil creatures.

Holding on to her honor as a sovereign and a fellow human being, she had agreed to save them from such a fate so she marshaled her troops and headed to Wallachia. She also heard rumors that soul edge might've played a role in this strange disease so she hastened her army to move even faster. She ran into Siegfried who rejected her help to look for Soul Edge together and soon after, she ran into Cassandra who was following Siegfried. After Cassandra had confirm the truth about the evil infected villages and her battle with their leader, Hilde was convinced that they were soon going to fight these demonic beings and she steeled her soldiers for the battle ahead. But now that she had seen the true reality of the situation, she was immediately filled with regret. These people were in the same situation as her father, they were merely victims of a strange sickness. "I'm sorry."

Cassandra could see that her friend didn't want to fight either, but she was right when she said that they had no choice. She put her hand on Hilde's shoulder comfortingly and said, "We've made our choices. We can't turn back now. If we let these people live, more people will be hurt; I understand that but it's still tough. I never imagined that I'll have to make a decision like this..."

"You're right… As a leader, I've learned that sometimes you must make sacrifices for the majority. The burdens I've carried…this is merely another one I must take one. But you don't have to. You can leave. Same thing goes for you Dampierre," said Hilde quietly.

Shaking her head, Cassandra smiled. "We're not leaving you Hilde, we'll face this together. Are we a team or what?"

"I'm certainly risking a lot for this princess, you'll owe me a very fat paycheck after this," joked Dampierre, fiddling with his moustache.

Her companion's words comforted her greatly and Hilde smiled at them. "Thank you. Let's meet up with Wallachia's generals and discuss our next moves then." As they headed for the camps, under the dark night sky,she thought to herself, "Please let this war end quickly; I don't want any more casualties than necessary."

* * *

><p>Amy held her small hand up to Talim's forehead and shook her head. This wasn't good, her fever hasn't broken in yet. In fact, it was steadily getting worse. Her father sat beside her and flipped through the pages of a dense medical book looking for an answer to Talim's sickness. The priestess labored breathing filled the room and her mattress was soaked in sweat. Two of their servants stood behind them attentively, waiting for orders to fetch anything that their master needed. "Father, her temperature is rising at a dangerous rate," Amy reported with a troubled expression on her beautiful pale face. "At this rate..."<p>

Hearing this, Raphael flipped through the book even faster. Damn it, there's got to be a solution in there. When he reached the end of the book, he droped it and picked up another one from the pile on Talim's bedside table. Minutes passed by interminably when all of a sudden, Raphael suddenly swore and threw the book across the room. Their servants gasped in fright and rush over to pick up the medical tome. Amy held her father's hand and said gently, "Father, you need to keep calm, this isn't like you."

She was right, he needed to keep his cool. But seeing Talim in such a condition and being unable to do anything made him feel utterly useless. If Amy was in Talim's situation, he would've gone mad with fear by now. Taking the damp cloth from the water basin on the bedside table, Amy placed it on Talim's forehead. Watching this, Raphael smiled. Amy was finally beginning to open her heart; the very thought seemed impossible in the past but it was actually happening right in front of his eyes. And it was all thanks to her...

He looked at Talim briefly with a strange emotion in his heart . He can't let Talim die... no, he won't let her die. In no way, could he lose her. Wracking his head, he tried to clear his mind and search for any possibilities that could explain this strange sickness. After awhile it finally hit him. "You! Fetch me a knife! Go!" commanded Raphael. One of the servants quickly rushed out of the room. "You! Open all the windows!" And the other servant hastened to obey his orders as well.

Looking at her father, Amy asked, "What have you thought of father?"

"You'll see very soon Amy. But whether this is a good thing or not is still a puzzle," said Raphael, looking at the windows that were now open.

Returning with the knife, the servant gave it to Raphael and meekly backed away. Taking one of Talim's feverish hands, he deftly made a small incision on one of her fingers. Lifting it over his mouth, he let three drops of blood cascade into his mouth. Swallowing, he waited for any signs of pain that was supposed to come but as he expected, he felt nothing. Her blood... Raphael bared his fangs as he said, "This is very bad." Motioning for the servants to bandage the wound, he got off the bed he was sitting on and walked over to the window. He stood there for a few moments and growled, "It's just as I thought. She's been poisoned from the evil energy that coursing through the air."

Walking over to her father side, she gave him a questioning look for a better explanation. Raphael nodded and began explaining. "As our minions are killed, the energy in their bodies is released into the air. Talim is a priestess of the wind, so she must've been sensitive and vulnerable to such a huge amount of malevolent energy. It must be strong enough to hurt her like this. Even as we speak, the energy festers inside of her..."

"What should we do father?"

"Under these conditions, we'll need to find a way to purify her, or else she may become malfested."

Amy spoke up. "But is that such a bad thing? If she becomes like us, she'll always be with us."

Raphael eyes were downcast. "However… I suspect there's a higher chance of her dying then becoming malfested. Her soul and blood is much too pure, to become tainted with Soul Edge's energy. I don't know how it works..."Raphael said frustratingly. "I believe that it might be because she's a wind priestess, that her body and blood is so pure. Perhaps this is something that is passed down in her family line since she came from the village of the wind?" His hands curled into fists. "Would the wind rather kill her, the only wind priestess left? Rather than let her become malfested?"

Amy was about to say something but someone knocked on the door. "Master, may I come in?"

"Come in. This had better be important," Raphael said as he gave orders for the windows to be close again.

One of his soldiers enters and bowing low, he gave Raphael a brief report on the battles below. "At first, we suffered terrible damage my lord. But as more and more of our people fell, the remainder grew stronger and now we're able to fight back. As well, our enemies seem to have purified themselves near the beginning, which explains why they were winning. But as time went on, their blessings seems to have weakened, my lord."

Stroking his chin, Raphael's bright red eyes widen as he realized what was happening. As more and more of his people fell, more evil energy was accumulated in the air and it must've boosted up the survivors's powers. That would explain why he wasn't thirsty for blood since his last drink of it was at least three days ago. In addition, the energy must've been weakening their enemies' amours and weapons that were blessed. That's it! If they have a method to purify themselves, then he could now find a way to cure Talim! A mad and dangerous plan blossomed in his mind but he knew that was as cunning as it was mad. "Amy, be a good girl and stay here. I'll be back soon."

Amy held on to her father's hand; with a familiar pain in her heart she asked solemnly, "Where are you going?"

Bending down to look his daughter in the eye, he said, "I'm going to protect you and Talim. Wait here for my return, my beloved Amy." Hugging her, he knew that she hated whenever he left her. He hated to leave her as well but some things must be done, for her sake. Releasing her, he swiftly exited the room. The last thing he saw as the doors close was Talim's feverish face. "I won't let anything happen to you… my dearest Talim," he whispered resolutely.

* * *

><p>Assessing the situation before him, Dampierre grimace at the sudden change of tide in battle. The houses around him were consumed by the hungry flames and the smoke was making it difficult to breathe. A blood soaked man charged at him, brandishing a large cleaver. Stepping to the left at the last second, he took out his hidden dagger and stabbed the man through the heart. Looking around he saw Hilde and Cassandra in the thick of battle near the town square and he rushed over to aid them. "Ladies! Le Bello is here, no need to fear now!"<p>

Inflicting a deadly stroke on her opponent, Cassandra rolled her eyes but she said in a joking tone of voice, "Glad to see you're being useful for once."

As Dampierre and Cassandra started arguing with each other, Hilde chuckled at her two friends, but she told them to focus on the battle as not to risk any unnecessary injuries. They did not realize that they were being watched by Raphael, who was standing on top of one of the buildings. Analyzing the battle, he quickly figured out who was their leader, the princess of Wolfkrone was. The light from the fires roaring around him reflected in his eyes and a rush of hot air brushed past him as he watched them underneath a dark sky. "I will burn all of you... to ashes." A snarl of pure hate appeared on his handsome face and he launched himself into the air. A red mist engulfed him and he vanished without a trace.

Swinging her lance to one side, Hilde knocked another opponent out of the way and rescued her soldier who was nearly impaled. Helping her wounded comrade up, she was about to rejoin the fighting when suddenly, a sharp rapier was thrust under her chin and someone held her tightly against their body. The fighting immediately stopped as their opposing leaders had finally encountered each other. Hilde struggled against the tight hold and her helmet fell off. "Who are you? Have you no honor for sneaking up on me like that!"

Raphael merely snickered. "How foolish of you, to anger me. I am the lord of these people, Raphael Sorel." His minions quickly crossed over to his side protectively and Raphael's red eyes flashed dangerously at the opposing side. "How dare you invade my land... you will all pay dearly for this."

"Stand down! Do you know who I am" retorted Hilde, struggling against his grip.

Raphael flashed her a fake smile and it showed a hint of his gleaming fangs. "Oh, I'm forgetting my manners. Welcome, Hildegard von Krone, princess of Wolfkrone. Now let me grant you death..." Raising his Flambert little higher, Raphael drew a small trickle of blood from Hilde's neck.

Her soldiers gasped and stepped forward but Dampierre quickly shoved them back. "Don't move! He'll kill her if we make any reckless moves."

"Let her go you coward!" shouted Cassandra angrily. She gripped her sword tightly and said, "Come over here and fight me! There's no pride in hiding behind a helpless hostage, you poor excuse for a man!"

Recognizing her, Raphael's eyes narrowed and he hissed, "You again! You're really starting to annoy me foolish girl."

Taking a few tentative steps towards the mad lord, Dampierre smiled; this was where his silver tongue would be useful. "Please, there's no need for a great man such as yourself to do this. Can't we talk this over as the refine and intelligent nobleman we are?"

Putting a thoughtful expression on his face, Raphael pretended to consider the idea. "You do have a point. Unfortunately, I don't think you've realize that you're in no position to bargain with me." Grasping Hilde's head, he pulled it back to expose more of her neck. "Your princess has a very delicate neck, it is so easy to break that if my fingers were to slip…"

"Just tell us what you want already?" cried Cassandra when he drew another thin line on her friend's neck. "If only she had killed him in their last battle, this wouldn't be happening," Cassandra thought regretfully. After all, that man was responsible for infecting all these people and therefore, he was the true cause of this tragic war.

Raphael said impatiently, "The first thing I want is for you to shut up. Your voice is starting to give me a headache." Turning to Dampierre, he said, "Tell me, what type of methods did you used to purify yourselves? Don't you dare lie to me or else you can start digging your lovely princess a deep grave." And he yanked on Hilde's hair a little harder. Maintaining her pride as a warrior, Hilde did not cry out even though it felt like her neck was going to break.

"We used holy water, blessed and purified from Wolfkrone's holiest priests," shouted Gerhilde.

"Gerhilde! No!"

As Hilde's most loyal soldier, she bowed low and said to her princess, "Your majesty, please forgive me. But in this dire situation, I have no choice."

Before Hilde could say anything, Raphael yanked on her hair once more before asking quietly, "So... do you have any of it left?"

Dampierre looked at Cassandra for a moment and they both nodded. They were saving the last bottle for an emergency, and this definitely classifies as one. Taking the small vial containing the pure water from inside his sleeves, he held it out to Raphael. "Will you let Hilde go if we hand this over?"

Raphael tilted his head and shrugged. "That depends, I might if I'm in a good mood."

The con man frowned at the situation they were in. But it looked like they were going to have to take their chances with this one... With a sigh, Dampierre rolled the bottle towards Raphael. Slowly, the small vial stopped at the vampire's feet and Raphael motioned for one of his men to pick it up and put it in his hand. Dampierre watched impatiently but he forced his voice to remain pleasant. "Will you return Hilde back to us now?"

Raphael laughed wickedly. "Do you honestly think I'll do such a thing? If I give her back, you idiots will burn down my castle and drive a sword through my heart. So listen well fools..." His eyes shone a bright red as he bared his fangs at them. From behind, his cape whipped back and forth from the hot air as he said in a low voice, "Take one more step into my domain and you will all burn... I will not hesitate to slaughter every last one of you and have my people drain you dry. Heed my words or else you'll be taking a step closer to retrieving your precious princess's corpse." He grinned down at Hilde. "For now, I think she'll make a fine pet for Amy. Farewell..." Utilizing his teleportation powers, he vanished along with Hilde.

"You coward!" shouted Dampierre and Cassandra. They rushed over but nothing remained except for Hilde's fallen helmet.

* * *

><p><em>I am the lord of the night. All that intrudes on my domain... shall pay the price for their insolence. Before my feet, grovel and beg for mercy. And all I'll grant you is a swift end to your meaningless existence.<em>


	13. Infiltration

Sitting on Talim's bed, Amy leaned over to wipe the sweat off her new friend's forehead. Her father had left for about three hours now and she was starting to get really worried. First, there was the worry of him getting injured. Second, Talim was burning hot by now and her breathing was even more labored and difficult than before. Outside, fires from the battle offered a dismal sort of light and the room was draped in flickering shadows. Amy shot the windows a dark glance and bit her lips. If anything happened to her father... she would slashed all of their necks and dye the ground red.

Suddenly, the door opened and her father, tired but happy, walked in. "Amy! I'm back" Sitting down beside Amy, he gave her a quick hug. "How's Talim doing?"

Greatly relieved, she returned the hug before gesturing to the deathly worsen priestess. "As you can see, it's not good. Her temperature keeps on increasing and at this rate..." Amy shook her head and her pigtails bounced. "Have you brought her a cure father?"

Nodding, Raphael showed Amy the phial containing the holy water. "This should be able to restore her but we must be careful, if we spill a single drop on ourselves, it could produce a deadly burn." Giving the phial to Amy, he leaned over and held Talim to his chest so that so that she was sitting slightly upright against him. Tilting her head slightly backwards, Raphael held her chin in his hand and made her open her mouth slowly. Amy uncorked the small vial in her hand with a small pop and began pouring the liquid down Talim's throat. When half of the bottle was gone, Raphael said, "That's enough Amy, we should save some for future uses."

Withdrawing the vial from Talim's mouth, Amy plug the stopper back in. "What do we do now?"

Laying Talim gently back down, Raphael got off the bed and sat in the chair beside the bed that one of the servants had pulled up for him."We'll sit here and wait for her temperature and breathing to return to normal. And just in case the there's side effects, we can immediately try something else."

Amy looked at him worriedly. "Father, you look tired. You should rest and if anything happens, I'll send for you immediately."

Raphael shook his head and gave her a reassuring smile. "I'll be fine Amy. Don't worry so much; after all, that's my job." Smiling at her, he settled himself a little more comfortably and waited patiently for Talim's recovery.

They sat there in silence for about an hour. Raphael would constantly check Talim's pulse and temperature every few minutes and he also ordered their servants to fetch some blankets so he could sleep on the couch while Amy went back to her room to rest. To his surprise, Amy refused to leave until she was sure that Talim was fine so they continued to sit there and wait. As the minutes continued to pass by, Raphael could feel his energy being drained. It looks like the double teleportation he used was starting to catch up to him. If it wasn't for the huge amount of evil energy in the air, he would've never been able to pull it off or last this long. He should've fell unconscious by now. Nonetheless, the effects were certainly catching up to him...

"Father! Her temperature has return to normal," Amy said enthusiastically. "Look, even her breathing is back to its normal rate."

Smiling, Raphael sighed in relief. "It looks like she'll pull through then. We should get some rest as well Amy." As he starts getting off the chair, he felt his strength give and with a loud crash, Raphael knock over the chair as he fell unconscious and collapse on to the floor.

"Father! Are you alright! Answer me!" cried Amy as she and the servants rush over to him. Checking his pulse, Amy relaxed slightly. Everything seems to be fine with him since there were no signs of injuries. Amy thought, "He must've overexerted himself." There was no point of bringing him back to his room since she would have to travel back and forth to take care of both him and Talim.

With a short command, she ordered the servants to carry him onto the couch. Tucking her father in, she told them to fetch her a book to read so she could pass the time while looking after them. When they left, Amy walked over to the window and pulled back the white and green curtains. Looking outside at the chaotic background, Amy felt a surge of anger that she rarely feels. Annoyance and irritation were two emotions that she knew, but outright anger was something different to the taciturn girl. Her enemies will pay dearly for this. "I won't forgive them."

* * *

><p>Behind a dark alley, two cloaked figures hidden by the shadows were conversing with each other on how to sneak into the castle of the dark lord. "Are you crazy Cassandra? We'll be killed within five seconds if we use that method!"<p>

"If you have a better idea, I would like to hear it! The generals of Wallachia said they'll only give us so much time before they mobilize their army instead of sitting around like cannon fodder," hissed Cassandra impatiently.

Stroking his moustache, Dampierre gave her a mischievous grin and said confidently "Don't worry, espionage is one of Le Bello's main talent. I can get us in there easily enough."

Sighing, Cassandra looked at the dark and menacing castle and felt a sense of unease sweep through her. "The only question is, will we be able to get out of there easily."

* * *

><p>A day has passed by and Talim and Raphael show no sign of waking anytime soon. Yawning, Amy rubbed her tired neck and continued eating her breakfast. It was a mechanical act as the food slid down her throat tastelessly. Finally, Amy snapped her fingers and the two maids entered and bow. "What can we do you for you my lady?"<p>

"Take these dishes to the kitchen and clean them," Amy said listlessly. Taking the unfinished meal out, they left and the door close with a soft thud. Picking up her book, Amy resumed her reading. Her eyes moved from word to word but she did not aborb any of the meanings. Her mind was too busy worrying about her father and Talim.

A half an hour later, a familiar voice resounded through the room. "Amy, what time is it?" asked Raphael, waking up from his restful slumber. Standing up slowly, he did a simple stretch and groan. Sleeping on a couch was certainly not very comfortable.

Dropping her book, Amy got up and rush over to her father. "Father, how are you feeling?"

"Just a little cramped, but I'm fine Amy. Is Talim awake yet?" Amy merely shook her head. Looking down at his daughter, he could clearly see that she was exhausted. "Amy, did you get any sleep?"

"No; I was looking after you and Talim so sleeping was out of the question."

Hearing this, he felt the familiar pain of being unable to care for his own daughter while making her look after him. Kneeling down, he stroked her soft red hair and gave her a sad smile. "I'm sorry, for being such a useless father…"

Amy shook her head. "You've always done your best and that's all that matters." Holding his other hand, she looked him in the eye and said quietly, "We only have each other in this world to call family; I've lost my parents in the past, but I was too young to really remember much Raphael. The only thing I remember was that it hurts a lot. I don't want to experience the feeling of losing a parent ever again, because this time, it might kill me..."

Looking at his daughter gravely, he said, "I promise, I shall live for you and for our new world." He placed a hand on her cheek tenderly. "I won't die Amy."

Turning to look at Talim, Amy said with some sadness, "I don't think Talim will agree to live with us in our new world…"

"Do you want her to be with us?" Raphael asked hesitantly.

Amy smiled and glanced over at the sleeping priestess. "She's very… different from other people. You can tell she actually cares about us despite the fact that we're… not normal. And even though I was cold towards her in the beginning, she still did her best to befriend me. I can't believe I'm saying this but, she's made you and me much happier ever since we've met her."

"She may be the light, we've been missing from our lives," agreed Raphael. "If only the world was as pure as her then I might actually consider her offer of healing us. However, I still believe the only way we'll be happy and secure is through obtaining power. I shall try my best to include her in our new world as I am quite fond of her as well but... there's no guarantee." Raphael sighed tiredly. "She can be very stubborn when it comes to her naive ideals."

Amy sighed as well. "I hope she'll come to see things our way, father."

"I hope so too." Giving Amy a swift kiss on the forehead, he smiled. "Now, it's time for you to get some sleep Amy, you look terrible my dear."

Amy nodded and gave a small yawn. "Alright then." And with that, she left for bed.

"Sweet dreams Amy, "said Raphael softly. Returning to Talim's bedside, he sat down in the chair and brushed back some of her hair. "What are you dreaming of, my little wind priestess…?"

* * *

><p>"This is a horrible idea" whispered Cassandra indignantly. She and Dampierre were dress as a butler and a maid and as they came up to the doors of the castle, she gulped. She was a courageous woman and never, had she ran away from a battle. She would gladly draw her sword and fight her way into the castle to rescue Hilde; but sneaking into a dark castle, with the craziest man in the world, and dressed as a maid, was something that she was definitely not ready to do. She looked at the two huge lion statues posed as fierce decorative sentinels on each side of the elegant barred doors and grumbled to Dampierre, "How in the world are we going to even enter this place!"<p>

"Don't worry, I heard that there was some kind of festival awhile ago so we'll just make up an excuse that Raphael sent on to buy some festival goods," Dampierre replied confidently.

Cassandra huffed angrily, "There are two huge flaws with this plan of yours. One, someone will recognize the fact that they've never seen us before. Two, the general said that these people like to drink blood from normal people. We'll never make it out alive!"

Regarding the hysterical Greek warrior, Dampierre said, "Tell me Cassandra, how do you feel? And I mean physically. Don't you feel physically ill?"

"Now that you mention it, I'm not feeling my best," Cassandra answered thoughtfully.

"Ever since we've came here, I can feel myself sickening as well. And as our army killed more of the infected people, it's been getting worse. One can consider that since we're being affected negatively from all the negative energy in the air, those that are infected will be feeling quite vigorous." Seeing the look of confusion on Cassandra's face, he drawled, "That means, they won't need to drink blood for their sustenance for awhile." When she continued looking at him with a baffled expression, he sighed. "They won't be able to tell that we're different from them."

"But our physical appearance is still to different from theirs," Cassandra pointed out.

Thinking to himself, he agreed that she was correct on this point. Their skin could pass but their eyes would definitely betray them. Looking down at all time could help but it was rather unreliable. They would just have to do this quick and get out before they get too suspicious. "For now, don't look up at anything. Keep your head down and avoid the rest of the servants as best as you can. We'll split up and search for Hilde. After that, I'll try to think of something to get us out of there."

Before Cassandra could argue some more, Dampierre rapped on the door loudly. A few seconds later, a servant opened the door and peered at them closely. "Can I help you?"

Lying smoothly, Dampierre said, "It's us. The er... new hands that Lord Sorel had just hired. We were out getting supplies for the master and we got caught up in the fighting. But we've now return to once again serve our wonderful master. Right?" And he elbowed Cassandra stealthily.

"Ouch! I mean… Yes, we've missed our work very, very much!" Cassandra added nervously.

The servant looked at them curiously for a few moments but then he just shrugged and let them in. "You guys can follow me and help clean up the kitchen. After all this time, we still haven't manage to completely clean or fix it up. But then again, it was a pretty big explosion."

Following the mumbling servant down the elegant but dark hallway, the two infiltrators looks at each other with wide eyes. Explosions in the kitchen? What kind of place is this? The important question is, what kind of trouble will await them in here.

* * *

><p>Darkness... it was so dark. But slowly, light filtered in and Talim blinked wearily as her vision cleared up. A burning dryness ravaged her body and with aching slowness, she turned her head and saw her dear friend sitting beside her. "Raphael..."<p>

Occupied with a medical book, Raphael almost missed the weak sound that was coming from his patient. "Raphael... water..."

"Talim!" Raphael got out if his seat and hurriedly sat down on the bed. Brushing back her hair, he leaned over and wiped her face with a white silk handherchief. "Wait just a minute, I'll get some water for you. Servants! Get in here quickly!" Rushing in, the two maids stood at their master's attention and they hurriedly scurried away when he ordered them to fetch Talim some water.

When they returned with the drink, he ordered them to leave them alone and the door closed with a dull thud. Raphael turned to Talim with the glass of water in his hand. Helping her sit up and lean against him, he gave her the glass and watched as she drank the water down thirstily. After she finish, she gave him back the glass and asked softly, "What happened?"

Raphael looked down into her dark brown eyes and answered,"You fainted at the festival... and you've contracted a very high fever Talim. Amy and I stayed by your side to take care of you and we were very worried. Luckily, you've recovered and by my estimation, you should be fine with a little rest and some hot food." He squeezed her shoulder and closed his eyes. "I don't know what I would have done, if you had not make it... I'm so glad, that you're safe now."

Emotion constricted her throat and Talim reached for his hand. "I'm so sorry, for causing you and Amy so much trouble." She then remembered her vision and cried, "Oh, but what about the army who's heading this way! They're coming to kill you! You must take Amy and run, I'll-" but before she could finish, she began coughing uncontrollably.

He shushed her and held her against him tightly while covering them with her olive blankets. "You've just woken up Talim, do not overexert yourself. I can take care of those fools easily enough. For now, you just stay here and rest. Everything... will be back to normal soon."

Before he could lay her back down, she shook her head and looked at him with pleading eyes. "Please don't kill them Raphael. They're merely doing what they believe is justice. There must be a way to avoid the loss of so many lives." Her eyes grew downcast and she said sadly, "I saw... so many deaths. Even now, it frightens me. War and battle is a horrible thing. Neither side truly wins." She pressed her face against his chest. "I don't want to see you get hurt. I don't want to see anyone get hurt. Please, there must be a way to end this peacefully," begged Talim.

He stroked her soft hair and held her against him for comfort. "I'm sorry Talim, but they must die. If I let them live then they'll pose a threat to Amy. I can't let that happen." Removing his hand gently, he looked at the window and said icily, "And it's because of them that you almost died Talim. I won't forgive them…" And he left the room before any more emotions could show on his face.

But she saw the glimpse of love and worry in his cardinal red eyes before he could hide them deep within himself. What does this mean? It couldn't be more than gratitude and friendship could it? Talim held a hand to her heart momentarily before she got out of bed and weakly stumbled over to the window. The light of the fires from far away shone brightly and she wept. "No more... Please, no more..."

* * *

><p><em>I am the priestess of wind. Every sound of joy and pain, I can hear. If only you can hear how horrible the cries of war the wind brings... perhaps you may finally understand.<em>**  
><strong>


	14. Searching For Those Hiding

Standing in front of a painting depicting a giant pear in a sea of strawberries, Raphael pushed it open to reveal a hidden stairway that spiraled down in to a deep, cold darkness that was occasionally penetrated by torches attached to their holders on the wall. With Amy beside him, they walked into their dark lair together. When they had finally reached the bottom, Amy looked at their old prisoners with disinterest. The dungeon was cold and dirty; a few torches lent their flickering light to the area while a few servants bowed low as their master and their lady pass by. Occasionally, she could see one of the servants bleeding a prisoner who was chained to the wall and collecting the precious red fluid in a bottle. The skinny man who was chained to the wall was used to this process by now and he did not struggle or make a fuss as the servants made a cut on his deeply scarred arms.

Hilde was also chained to the wall and as she watched the process, she showed no sign of fear. Only mild disgust and anger showed on her face. Her outer armor and weapons had been removed so the only thing she was wearing was her long red thick undershirt and long boots. Her red hair fell in a straight wave that was crusted with dirt and sweat but overall, she was unharmed. "So this is the so called princess of Wolfkrone," Amy thought dryly as she strolled over.

Seeing Amy and Raphael approaching, Hilde straightened up a little even though her hand and feet were chained tightly to the cold walls. "What do you want?"

Smirking, Raphael came a little closer to her. "Aren't you scared princess? Can you not feel the very essence of death around you?"

"I fear nothing. The only thing I regret is being unable to die with honor in battle," Hilde said flatly. "And I was unable to heal my father…" she thought to herself sadly.

Walking back to his daughter's side, he gave Hilde a cruel smile. "Well now, what do you think of your new pet Amy?"

"The great princess of Wolfkrone as my pet? Why father, you do spoil me very much." And Amy gave a small grin of mischievousness. But then her eyes flashed as she stepped up to Hilde. "I'll break you... for ruining such a fine night for me and my father. And it's because of you, that my friend contracted a high fever and nearly died." Amy showed her fangs as she said, "None of my pets have lasted very long. I'm interested in seeing how long you can last..."

Listening to her words, Hilde felt a surge of rage. "I am no one's pet. You may be a child but how dare you treat me with such disrespect."

Looking at Hilde, Amy and Raphael merely burst into laughter. "Where do you think you are?" Raphael asked as he gestured to the gloomy dungeon. "You are no different from any prisoners here, except for maybe the fact that you're rather pretty. But..." He roughly grabbed her chin and and said, "I want nothing more then to sink my fangs into your delicate neck and drain you dry for what you've done. Wolfkrone has no business being here and yet you decide to meddle with my domain. After I'm done eliminating Wallachia's army and yours, you can join them in the afterlife and let them know it was all your fault they died."

"Indeed. How pathetic princess," Amy added. "For now, you can enjoy your stay here in our dungeon since I don't feel like playing with you. For now."

Ignoring Hilde's curses, the two continued on deeper into the dungeon until they reach a barred metal door. Taking out a silver key from his pocket, Raphael unlocked it and they step inside. Inside, were many shelves and cases of wine bottles. However, instead of wine, there was blood inside. It was Raphael's storage of sustenance since there was no way he and his daughter would degrade themselves by going outside to bite commoners in the neck and drink their blood. This was more refine and elegant. It had also been some times since they've had this delicious drink; so pouring himself and his daughter a glass, they toasted each other. "For victory."

"For our happiness," she replied. With that, the two clinked their glasses together and drank deeply. Wiping their mouths, they smiled as they felt the familiar surge of power and their eyes shone with a crimson red light. May their enemies regret the day they step foot in Raphael's territory.

* * *

><p>"Scrub harder! If the master finds so much as a small stain, we'll be whipped until our backs are blue!" said the head servant, a woman in her forties with a plain face and even plainer body. Dark brown hair was pulled into a tight bun and her brown eyes scrutinize every surface, looking for imperfections.<p>

Grunting, Cassandra mopped the floor with more energy. The kitchen was still a total chaos and she could smell a lingering odor of…burnt stuff. "I've got to find a way to get out of here," she thought. Dampierre had already found an excuse to ditch and had already started his search on the east side of the castle. In frustration, she kicked the wooden counter and a big pot of flour sitting in an open cupboard tipped over and spilled its white content all over her. "Ahhh!" cried Cassandra shaking the stuff off her. A big white cloud quickly surrounded her, which made her quite noticeable to the headservant.

"You moron! Go to the servant's quarter and change out of that outfit immediately. I want you come to come back as soon as you're done and clean up this mess," snapped the head servant.

"Thanks, I'll be right back." And Cassandra quickly ran out of there, leaving a trail of flour powder behind her. Finally! Now was her chance to find Hilde and get out of this creepy place. Running to the west side, she began searching.

* * *

><p>Walking along the beautifully decorated hallway that had elegant candle holders every few steps, Dampierre stealthily picked the locks on every door he saw and when he didn't see Hilde in them, he would lock them again. Continuing down another one, he saw two maids standing guard outside one of the door. Could Hilde be in there? Walking confidently up to the maid while keeping his face down, he cleared his throat and said in a convincing tone of voice, "Good evening ladies. The master wishes to speak to the two you about some kind of errand he wants you to take care of."<p>

"But the master said we weren't allowed to leave," protested one of the maid. She peered at him suspiciously and stood a little closer to the door.

Pointing to himself, Dampierre gave them a charming smile while he quickly closed his eyes to hide their color. "That's why I'm here to take your place. You can leave knowing that someone's here to stand watch. Oh, and I heard that the master is in a rather foul mood... let's just say he's not going to be very happy if he has to wait for you two for too long."

The maids gave each other a hesitating look and whisper back and forth but they finally reached a conclusion, "Alright then, thank you for delivering the message. Make sure that you don't enter unless the lady inside calls for you. Oh and don't leave this door until someone else come to replace you." And Dampierre watched the two maids ran off to look for their master.

Quietly opening door, he stepped into the room and looked around. He tilted his head in curiosity when he saw a young Asian girl sleeping peacefully on the bed. Light green canopy flowed down and hid most of the bed and its occupant inside and the only thing he could really see clearly was her long black hair. He gave the room a thorough search and when he found nothing of interest he decided to leave. "I wonder who that girl is. Why were the maids guarding her? Wait, if she's important to Raphael, maybe I can…" His train of thought was interrupted by the rapid footsteps heading this way. Looking for a place to hide, Dampierre quickly scrambled over to the long green and white curtains and hid behind them. A crescent moon shone from outside the window and he shifted over a little to avoid having his shadow appear. Trying not to move or breathe too loudly, he stood there and hoped that he wouldn't be notice.

Walking down the hallway with quick steps, Raphael shouted at his maids. "Idiots! Who told you I called for you. The only job I gave you was to stand guard and you couldn't even do that right!"

"We're so sorry master, we- we didn't know that he was lying to us," stammered the frightened maids, following their master. "He sounded so convincing you would've thought that he was actually telling the truth."

Raphael bit his lips and thought about the situation carefully. Someone must have infiltrated his castle and they're probably looking for Hilde. Fools! They'll regret this. And if they even think of using Talim as a hostage… Bristling with anger, he slapped one of the maids and she fell backward, holding her hand to her cheek that was quickly turning purple. She held back her tears in case of angering her master any further. "You two, get out of my sight! How useless!" And he continued walking down the hallway to Talim's room.

Seeing the door ajar, he panicked and quickly rushed into the middle of the room. Standing on the viridian green rug, he cried "Talim! Are you alright?"

Waking up from her peaceful slumber, the priestess slowly stirred and opened her eyes to find a frantic looking Raphael in her room. "What's wrong Raphael?" asked Talim, slowly sitting up. He looked rather upset but she didn't see what the reason was.

Rushing over and pushing the green canopy aside, he grabbed her shoulders and examine her for any injuries and to see if she alright. Seeing that everything he was normal, he breathed a sigh of relief. "Did you see anyone come in here Talim? Did you hear anything?"

"I don't think so. I was tired so I fell asleep and I was quite sure no one came in." Shaking her head, she looked around her room and thought everything seemed fine. But then her eyes widened slightly when she felt an unknown wind. Her gaze flickered over to the window and she hesitated slightly before saying, "No, no one came in here Raphael. Did something happen?"

"It's nothing, don't worry about it," said Raphael." We may have some unwanted guests in my castle and I'm trying to track them down right now. So don't open the door for anyone unless it's me or Amy alright. I'll come back in a few hours with Amy and we can head down to dinner if you feel that you're up for it."

Talim smiled. "I'm fine. I've suffered worse before so don't worry."

Sitting on the bed, Raphael gave her a curious look. "What do you mean you've been through worse?"

Looking inward at her memories, she explained softly, "Years ago when the evil seed, which we now know is Soul Edge, rained down upon the world. The evil energy spread throughout much of the world. One day, while I was reading the wind, the energy surge through me carried by a contaminated wind and I was unconscious for many days. My father was the village shaman; he gathered up those who had spiritual healing abilities and they gathered around my body and prayed for many days. Eventually, their ritual succeeded and I lived. But it took me a whole year to fully recover."

"I know what you're talking about, Talim." And Raphael began explaining his own misfortune when Soul Edge appeared in the world. "A noble who has long supported my family was driven insane by those shards. In self-defense, I killed him. And you know the rest of story right?"

Talim nodded sorrowfully. "Ever since that sword came to this world, the fabric of nature has become greatly twisted..." Coughing, she tried to continue speaking but Raphael stopped her.

He placed a hand on her shoulder and made a disapproving sound. "Take it easy Talim. Remember, you need to rest to regain your strength. Anyway, I have to continue the search for those intruders but I promise we'll have dinner together alright?"

Laying back down, she said hesitantly, "Dinner sounds like a good plan. I'll wait for your return then Raphael." She gave his hand a small squeeze. "Do be careful, alright? And please, don't resort to combat if you can help it."

"You're still so naive Talim..." But Raphael nodded and left. A resounding click showed that he had lock the door from the inside so anyone from outside wouldn't be able to get in. Before shutting the door, he reminded her, "Remember, don't open the door for anyone besides me and Amy." She nodded and gave him a cheerful good-bye wave as the door close. As he made his way through the hall, a maid covered in flour rush past him. "What are you doing?"

Cassandra froze and turned around slowly. Why did it have to be this guy she had to run into. "Umm... I was just….getting clean up my lord." She thought to herself quietly, "Please don't let him recognize me. If he does, I'm gonna knock him out and run for it.

Peering at the maid, Raphael thought she looked rather familiar but he couldn't quite tell since she was covered in so much flour and the candles only offered so much light in the dark hallway. "Have I seen you somewhere before?"

"Yeah, the kitchen. I mean yes, you've seen me before in the kitchen. My lord," added Cassandra hastily.

Before Raphael could push the subject some more, Amy showed up. "Father, is Talim alright?"

Nodding, he added "We may have intruders in our castle Amy. Grab your Albion and gather up the servants to search for them. I shall get my Flambert and I'll take the east side of the castle. If I find them, you'll have more pets to play with, my beloved daughter."

Amy smiled. "If I find them, I'll probably break them before you can make them my pets."

Turning to Cassandra, he waved her off impatiently. "Go change and do your part in the search. I don't want to see anyone slacking off, got it?"

Cassandra grinded her teeth and gave him a curt bow before leaving. Turning right, she looked around for her sneaky companion. Where the hell was Dampierre in this ridiculously sized castle!

* * *

><p>"You may come out now."<p>

Dampierre stepped out and stroked his moustache. "You knew Le Bello was hiding behind there, so why didn't you say anything?"

Talim looked at him sadly. "Because Raphael would have killed you. I did not sense any ill intentions from you when I read the wind around you, so I decided to stay quiet. But..." Talim eyes narrowed slightly. "I recognize you as a man from the army that has invaded Raphael's land. Why are you here?"

"But we've never met."

Talim said in a matter of fact voice, "The wind sees everything. I am a wind priestess and therefore, I posses the ability to read the wind."

Dampierre shook his head and explained tiredly, "One of my friends has been kidnapped by Raphael. I need to find her and my other companion who's also here with me. I would like to ask for your cooperation. If you agree, we shall take our leave and I promise we'll avoid hurting anyone in this castle."

Talim closed her eyes and said, "I do not fully trust you. After all, you and your friends are responsible for many of Raphael's people's lives."

Dampiere wagged his finger at her. "Don't judge us so harshly little miss. We didn't know what we were involving ourselves in when we agreed to help Wallachia. I don't know if you'll understand but the army of Wallachia is merely trying to prevent this strange disease from spreading and they enlisted Wolfkrone's help without giving Hilde too many details." Stroking his moustache, he added slyly, "If there was some way to cure these people, Hilde would probably order her army to withdraw at once... and then no more people will have to die."

Talim blinked at him. "You're trying to bait me."

"But I can tell that you're against the idea of a war. Are you not, little miss?" Dampierre crossed his arms and leaned against her bedpost. "If you lie to Hilde that you can use some weird wind magic thing to heal these people, Le Bello is sure that she'll leave this place."

Talim said quietly, "I… am actually able to cure them by using the wind."

Dampierre choked on his own spit when he heard that. "WHAT!"

"Ssshhh!" Talim hastily shushed him. "I can, but Raphael will not let me. And with this many people, it'll take a rather long time and alot of my energy to accomplish. So I'm hoping that when I obtain the legendary sword, Soul Calibur, I can heal Raphael first and then proceed to heal everyone here." Talim fiddled with her bed-sheets and looked at him questioningly. "If I tell this Hilde that, would she agree to leave?"

The con man adjusted his hat thoughtfully. "Knowing Hilde, she didn't seem very happy about this war so Le Bello assumes that you'll have a very good chance of convincing her." Tapping his fingers on her bedside table, he sighed. "But we'll have to find her and Cassandra in this huge castle before that madman finds us first. I have a feeling this isn't going to be easy, even for a man such as myself."

Getting off the bed, Talim took her elbow blades, Syi Salika and Loka Luha, and strapped them on to her pink belt before motioning for Dampierre to follow her. "I can call on the wind to help guide us so it won't be too hard. Just tell me what they look like and I'll handle it from there." Remembering something, she turned to look Dampierre in the eye. "Oh and please don't call Raphael a madman or I'll have to shave that moustache of yours off."

As they walked out of the room, Talim began tying her hair into her trademark pigtails. Following the tiny girl, Dampierre gulped. "She's as scary as Cassandra, but not as scary as Hilde..."

* * *

><p>Avoiding Raphael's servants who were on the hunt for Cassandra and Dampierre costed them some time, but Talim finally found one of the people they were looking for. "Cassandra! Over here!" Dampierre whispered loudly.<p>

Hearing Dampierre's voice, the flour covered Cassandra rush over to the pillar they were hiding behind and shouted, "Where the hell were you! We said we'd meet in front of the ballroom at 10 pm. You're way late!"

Clamping his hand over her mouth, the group withdrew down a corridor with Dampierre dragging a very angry Greek woman behind him. "Shush! Do you want the whole castle to hear you?"

"Mrgh odfhor dgms!" grumbled Cassandra who was having a hard time speaking due to Dampierre's hand still clamped tightly over her mouth.

Talim suddenly stop and stood there trying to catch her breath. "I'm... sorry... I'm not feeling my... best right now." It was a bit of an understatement since it felt as if her lungs were on fire. "Just a little further guys… the wind is telling me… that we're very close." Talim dropped to her knees and panted as she held a hand to her running heart.

Shaking Dampierre's hands off her, Cassandra walked over to Talim and patted her on the back, "You don't look too well that's for sure. Why, I think you're even paler than me! And I'm covered in flour! Are you sure you'll be alright kiddo?"

Talim nodded and continued trying to slow down her heart rate and catch her breath."I'm fine... please don't worry about me."

Meanwhile Dampierre had disappeared and when Taim recovered, Dampierre he reappeared with some clean maid clothes for Cassandra. The two girls looked at him with disbelieving eyes. "What? She's making a trail everywhere we go!"

The three looked at the white trail of powder and thought, "Oops."

After Cassandra change into her new clothes inside one of the many rooms in the castle, they continued their search for Hilde.

* * *

><p>Standing inside the ballroom, Raphael waited impatiently for his servants to search thoroughly for the intruders before they move on to the second floor. "My lord, there's no one in the ballroom," reported one of his maid.<p>

"Fine, then let's get going." And Raphael turned to leave when suddenly, he heard the clock strike one. Dawn would arrive in about five hours and it was time for dinner. He had promised Talim that he and Amy would visit and eat with her. It would probably be alright if he left the servants to search for about an hour or so by themselves. Turning to one of the maid, he ordered her to fetch Amy and tell her that they would take a short break and have dinner with Talim.

"Yes my lord." And the maid obediently left to find Amy.

* * *

><p>Walking down the hallway, Raphael asked, "Did you find anything Amy?"<p>

"No, not yet father. But I'm sure we'll catch them sooner or later," said Amy reasurringly.

Nodding, Raphael tried to push away a strange sense of unease out of his mind. Standing in front of Talim's door, he knocked loudly on the mahogany door a few times. "Open the door Talim. It's Raphael, Amy's with me as well. We're here to fetch you for dinner."

The only answer he got was complete silence. Amy looked up at her father and said, "Maybe she's still sleeping?"

Knocking a couple more times, Raphael grasped the handle and turned it. To his surprise, it was unlocked. It couldn't be... he had locked it from the inside when he left. So why? Complete silence greeted him as he opened the door. He stepped in slowly and he felt his heart pound as he walked over to her bed and yanked aside the canopy. There was no one in there. "Talim!"

* * *

><p>Darkwings13: The painting was mentioned previously in chap 10 if anyone remembers. Good news, I've finally defeated Algol on the last floor of the tower of souls using Talim, Raphael and Amy. Let's just say it took me forever. Anyway, thanks for reading. If I made any mistakes of if there's something I can improve then feel free to tell me.<p> 


	15. Clash of Deadly Dances

Running back to his study, Raphael ordered the servants to double their efforts. He had given Amy permission to lead them on a strict search on the second floor and that if anyone sees the intruder, then they were to send for him immediately. Unlocking the door to his study, he stepped in quickly and slammed it shut. Dashing to his desk, he began rummaging through the drawers until he found the correct one. Sliding it open, he withdrew a small chest and opened it with a pleased smile. "Those fools will regret the day they stepped foot in my castle." His hand closed around the gleaming sharp Soul Edge shard and his eyes turned a slightly darker red.

* * *

><p>Standing in front of a painting, Talim looked at it in a puzzled manner. Why had the wind lead her to this? Turning to Dampierre and Cassandra she gave them a 'I have no idea why we're here' look.<p>

"Let's search somewhere else then," Cassandra suggested. Every second that passed them by, the closer they were to getting caught.

Dampierre walked up to the painting and scrutinized it with a critical eye. Beside the fact the painting looked pretty bad on the wall in Raphael's foyer, there was something rather unusual about it. Pressing his hands against it, he felt it moved in a bit. Stunned, he motioned for the others to come. "Le Bello believes that this is a secret passageway. Perhaps we should push and see."

Talim whispered to Cassandra, "Does he always talks this way?"

"Yep. It's kinda weird right?"

Dampierre glared at them. "Are we in a hurry or what?"

"Right."

The three shoved the painting forward and it slowly creaked open to reveal stairs that spiraled downward into a gloomy darkness. They were about to head down there when Talim suddenly read a warning from the wind. Even in her weakened state, she could tell that there was something malevolent in the direction of Raphael's study. Could he be in danger? Talim looked at her current comrades with an apologetic expression. "Dampierre, Cassandra, I'm sorry but there's something I need to take care of. After you find your friend, please leave through the back doors down that way." And she pointed to her left.

Dampierre stroked his mustache. "Did you sense something from the wind?"

Talim nodded. "An ill wind is inside this castle..." She bit her lips in worry before asking Dampierre and Cassandra, "Please, will you promise me that you and your friend will leave the battle and take your army with you? After all, I kept my side of the promise."

Cassandra gave Talim a pat on the back and said in a cheerful tone of voice, "We will. And if Hilde was here, she'd say something along the lines of... For my honor, I will withdraw my army since you've aided my escape blah blah blah." Giving the priestess a soft smile, she added, "It's been a pleasure to meet you Talim. May our paths cross again in the future."

Waving good bye to Talim, Cassandra and Dampierre headed down to the dungeon to look for their friend. After parting ways with them Talim ran at a quick pace toward Raphael study. "Please, don't let anything bad happened to him," she prayed fearfully. The wind seemed to be screaming in pain as she ran and finally, she came to a stop and put a hand to her heart. "Augh... Why?" The closer she got to his study, the worse she felt. What could possibly be happening?

* * *

><p>Tucking the shard of Soul Edge into his pocket, Raphael turned to leave when suddenly, the window behind him exploded in a shower of glass and a strange girl leapt through it. Holding a strange metal ring, she smiled at him. Whipping out his Flambert in less than a second, he held it out and pointed it toward his new intruder. "Who are you?"<p>

Laughing, the girl stood up and looked at him. Wearing, a red outfit that was loose with a few leather belts around her torso, gold clawed gloves adorned her hands and she also wore brown boots. She did not look like she was from the army that's for sure. Her dark hair was tied up into pigtails and her eyes flashed with a sinister purple as she let out another loud giggle. "You can call me Tira. But what are you? You look kinda funny." And she let out a crazy laugh.

Narrowing his eyes at the girl, he twirled the rapier in his hand slowly. "I don't find you humor amusing. I think it's time for you to disappear."

Tira pouted and pretended to look hurt. "Ahhh, what a meanie. Is that any way to talk to a girl?"

Raphael put on a thoughtful expression. "As a gentleman, I suppose that's a reasonable question. However..." He looked at her with dislike. "To a dog that has dared intrude upon my castle, I have no reason to show any courtesy." Stepping around his opponent warily,Raphael decided to end this quickly by making the the first move. He did three quick thrusts with his rapier which the girl blocked easily.

Taunting her opponent, Tira said, "No good! Make this more fun will you?" Twirling around, she swiped at his legs which he leaped over and he quickly tried slashing her shoulders. Sidestepping it, she spun the hoop in her right hand and attempted to cut him in the stomach. He barely deflected it and her sharp weapon made a deep cut in his desk and overturned it. Papers floated down around them and she laughed. "Is that all? Maybe your body wouldn't be good enough for Soul Edge after all."

Taking a few steps away from her, he said in a cold voice, "What do you know about Soul Edge? Let me tell you that I have no interest in that sword anymore."

Tira put a hand on her hip and jerked her head towards his pocket. "Yeah? Then you wouldn't mind giving me that shard of Soul Edge would you fancy-pants?"

"Who do you think you are, to order me around?" snapped Raphael, greatly displeased at the way she was talking to him.

Tira didn't seem to hear him. "Oh, I forgot to mention that a little birdie told me you're interested in Soul Calibur. Anyone that wants that sword is an enemy. So... I guess I'll kill you and take the shard from your dead corpse!" With an insane giggle, she leaped into the air and rolled towards him.

The attack caught him by complete surprise but at the last moment, he turned and he felt the weapon strike his right arm since he tried to keep his fighting arm uninjured. The wound wasn't serious but he doubt that would be the last injury from this fight. He needed more space to be able to fight properly; the furniture in his study was a serious hindrance to his attacks. Leaping over his overturned chair, he ran to the doors, flinged them open and ran out. "The likes of you could never stop me! Try and follow if you dare!"

Laughing with delight at the chase, Tira pursued him until they reached the stairs. With great flexibility and grace, Raphael turned, dropped down low and executed a swift low stab. His smiled as Tira let out a pained sound and blood dripped from the cut on her ankle. It wasn't too deep since her boots took most of the damage though. But he wasn't finished yet, seeing his chance, he stepped towards her and slashed her head. Parrying the blow at the last second, Tira saved herself from decapitation and Raphael stumbled backwards into the handrail of the stairs. She followed up her previous attack by smashing her ring blade into the ground and using it to hurl herself through it and into Raphael. Her feet connected with his stomach and she sent him flying through the air.

Raphael let out a grunt of pain as the wooden hand rails broke against his back and he tumbled down below, accompanied by bits and pieces of splinters. As he hit the ground, his breath was knocked out from his lungs. Before he could get up, he saw the girl leaping down with that sharp ring in her hand ready to finish him off. Rolling to the side, he dodged her attack and got back on his feet. Tira looked at him and giggled while dislodging her ring blade from the carpet where Raphael's head was a mere second ago. "Oh goody, I was afraid you would break so soon. Let's play some more!"

Spinning the ring in her hand, she threw it at him at a great velocity. Raphael did not expect her to throw it at him since most fighters knew that when their weapons were not in their hands were the moments when they were most vulnerable. So he was unable to do anything to stop the spinning disk as it flied toward him.

"Raphael, watch out!"And right before his eye, he saw Talim leap in front of him and smack the ring away with her left elbow blade. "Whew that was scary," said Talim breathlessly. If she had arrived another second later, it would've been too late.

"Talim! Wha- I- you- why-?" stuttered a dazed Raphael.

Shifting her weight, Talim got into her battle stance and faced Tira. "I'm sorry, but now would not be the best time to explain, Raphael."

Mentally smacking himself, he agreed. "Yes, you're right. After we take care of this wretched fool, I'm sure there'll be plenty of time to ask you how you managed to escape from your captors." And he shifted into his battle stance as well.

Under the light of the gleaming chandelier,Tira cackled evilly. "Yay, it looks like I have a new toy to play with!" She held one of her hand up to her cheek and gushed, "You look so adorable and cute! I can't wait to break your knee caps and twist your arms tp see that pretty face scrunched up in pain."

Staring at the girl sadly, Talim said, "You have such a distorted wind around you..."

Tira looked at her with puzzlement before shaking her head. "Don't try distracting me with weird words. Nothing is going to stop me from wetting my pretty ring blade with your blood."

"Please leave. You don't need to do this," Talim replied softly.

Tilting her head, Tira gave a small grin. "And give up the chance to shred the two of you to pieces? I don't think so!" Dashing towards them, Tira picked up her ring blade on the floor and attacked them with a strong horizontal strike.

"I guess some things can only be conveyed through battle…" And Talim and Raphael charged towards their opponent as well. The violent battle commenced on the empty square floor and Talim's eyes flickered to the hallway she just came from. "Please, let them escape this place quickly," Talim prayed quietly as she backstepped and watched Raphael kicked Tira into the red wall. His wrath would be devastating to feel...

* * *

><p>After defeating the servants guarding the dungeon and rescuing Hilde and the other prisoners, Dampierre explained to the tired princess that Talim, a young girl they had met, would be able to heal the infected populace sometime in the future and it was all thanks to her that Cassandra and he were able to find her in this place. After listening, Hilde decided to withdraw her army to honor the priestess's help and she hoped that this Talim would be able to restore these people back to normal since she did not want such blood on the hands of her soldiers. Maybe Talim would be able to heal her father as well…<p>

Donning her armor and weapons back on, Hilde looked at her comrades and the prisoners and told them to follow closely. Taking one of the swords and shields from a weapon pile in the dungeon, Cassandra was ready as well and they left. Climbing out of the painting, they walked in the direction Talim had pointed to when suddenly, a group of Raphael's servant surrounded them. "Everyone! Huddle up behind me, Cassandra and Dampierre!" Hilde ordered loudly. They swiftly went into formation, with the three warriors forming a triangle and the prisoners behind them.

Stepping in front of the servants, Amy held her rapier, Albion, in her left hand and pointed it towards Hilde. "Where's Talim?" It was a good thing she decided to research the main floor, although she never expected them to be able to find the hidden dungeon so easily. But, Talim was still nowhere to be seen.

"She's obviously not here!" said Cassandra in a matter of fact voice.

The servants made an angry sound and got ready to rush toward her but Amy told them to hold their ground. "Go find my father and tell him we've found the intruders." One the maids quickly detached herself from the circle and ran off fulfill her orders. Facing the trio, Amy twirled her weapon and said in lazy voice, "Which do you want destroyed, body or soul?"

Hilde narrowed her eyes slightly before saying, "I don't want to fight you. A girl such as you doesn't belong on the battlefield."

Amy replied emotionlessly, "Battlefields are created. And right now... I am going to create one." Snapping her fingers, she sent the servants charging at them.

* * *

><p>Dancing to the right, Raphael slashed at Tira's right arm which she countered by ducking low and kicking him in the knee. Talim leapt out from behind her and punched Tira in the back. Twirling away to safety, she rejoined Raphael's side and observed their opponent. Looking at Talim, Raphael thought she looked exhausted. "Talim, are you alright? You tired, aren't you?"<p>

"I'm...fine. Don't worry," Talim replied. The truth however, was that she felt rather sick. Evil energy poured out from both Raphael and Tira and the more time she spent around them, the more it drained her powers. If only she was at full health, then she would be able to handle the situation without this much trouble.

Taking the vial of holy water stored in his pocket, he uncorked it and handed it to her. "Drink this, it'll help."

Talim quickly gulped the liquid down and breathe a sigh of relief as she felt better almost instantly. "Thank you."

Watching the two was starting to bore Tira, so she provoked them. " Here kitty kitty. Let's play some more." Raising her ring blade, Tira was about to launch herself back into the battle but her gloomy side suddenly spoke up. "Their hearts beats… the noise is grating. Let me stop it forever."

"Awww, but I'm having so much fun," Tira's jolly side replied to her gloomy side.

"You've had your fun. It's my turn, step aside." And Tira's gloomy side took over. Draping the ring on her shoulders, she looked at her two opponents. "I'll cut your hearts out. Promise me you'll scream, alright."

Talim and Raphael exchanged a quick look with each other. There was something wrong with the girl. First, she started talking to herself, and now it looks like she had adopted a whole new personality. Even her battle stance was different. "What should we do Raphael?" Talim asked nervously.

Whispering to the priestess to lean closer, he said, "I'll act as a decoy and you'll strike as soon as you see an opening. We'll finish her off with our most powerful attack together."

"But I don't want to kill her," Talim whispered back.

Before Raphael could reply, Tira cut in. "Shut up already!" Jumping up high, Tira placed her foot on the inner edge of the ring and used the momentum to skate the deadly weapon through the air towards him. With a quick backwards step, he flicked his Flambert towards her and inflicted a deep wound on her shoulders in midair. She caught him by complete surprise when, she merely brushed the injury off and retaliated by twisting herself around and weaving a quick web of slashes from all around him. Holding his Flambert in a defensive position, he blocked most of her attacks except for a few fast low ones. His pants were ripped around the upper thigh and blood dripped down his legs.

"Stop!" Running behind their opponent, Talim leapt into the air and whirled through it, unleashing a barrage of spinning attacks with her elbow blades and inflicting many wounds on Tira's back.

"I'll tear you apart!" Tira snarled viciously. Promptly using her ring as a hula hoop, she spun it around herself and made many jagged wounds on Talim's stomach. Stumbling backwards, Talim suppressed a cry of pain as blood spilled from the injuries. But by using that move, Tira also suffered since she had a few cuts on her torso from using her body to spin the sharp weapon. Hate flared from her violet eyes and she hissed, "I will rip your arms off for this!"

"Don't you dare!" Raphael quickly stepped in for Talim and he began to duel Tira with great skill and precision. He said to Talim hastily, "Talim! Stay back! Your injuries are too serious!"

"But... augh..." Every movement was painful but Talim had a sudden idea to end the battle. Distancing herself from the battle, she gained quite abit of space from them and when she figured that she was far enough, she shouted to Raphael in a loud voice. "Raphael! Move!" Charging towards them, she bit back her pain and slid under Tira's horizontal swipe and held her arms out straight to shove the crazy girl hard in the legs.

Tira did not expect such a rash attack and tumbled backwards from the hard pressure. "This is not over!" she shouted. Swinging her ring blade back and high, she prepared her strongest attack, Blazing Cadenza.

Raphael could see that the battle was going to come down to a simple move of pure strength, but he was determined that it would be in their favor. "Talim, now!" And he readied his strongest move, Bloody Funeral.

Summoning all of her remaining strength into her left hand, Talim readied her second strongest move, Raging Wind. "Wind! Hear me!"

Tira's Blazing Cadenza ascended towards them in a whirl of fierce fire and was met with Raphael's own fiery and swift Bloody Funeral thrust accompanied by Talim's low and burning Raging Wind. Although Tira's move was more powerful, it took slightly more time to charge. Raphael's and Talim's moves were faster but slightly less powerful. However, when combined together, their combo was equal or even greater that Tira's. The three weapons clashed in a shower of deadly sparks and power. The last thing Raphael saw before shutting his eyes against the blinding light of their weapons was Talim's left elbow blade shattering into pieces and his Flambert starting to break from a spreading crack.

* * *

><p><em>With the clash of fires, weapons roar and souls screams... What shall break and what shall remain?<em>


	16. Betrayal of Trust

Tira howled in fury as her Eiserne Drossel crumbled into pieces and she flew backward from the impact. Raphael and Talim were also blasted backwards as well. Before they hit the ground, he grabbed Talim and used his body to soften her fall. He then rolled on top of her to protect her from the metal shards of their weapons as it rained down on them.

"Raphael!" Talim cried out in concern as he winced above her.

"It's fine. Just stay under me," he said as he continued shielding her. He pressed her against him alittle tighter when a shard landed dangerously close to her head.

As the last piece hit the ground, Raphael helped Talim stand up and they faced their opponent. His Flambert was badly damaged but it was still useable. On the other hand, Talim's left elbow blade was completely annihilated since it took most of the force applied by Tira's Blazing Cadenza. Her right elbow blade was still fine though, so Raphael prepared himself for the finishing blow when suddenly, Tira started talking again.

"You've managed to break my Eiserne Drossel, very good. I'm starting to like you..."

Tira's jolly side suddenly spoke up inside her. "See, I told you they were fun! Let's leave them for today. Then we can have fun fighting them again."

Tilting her head, she considered her jolly side's suggestion. "You have a point. But, promise me I'll be the one to cut their hearts out," replied her gloomy side.

"Ok, but I get to tear them limb from limb then. Anyway, let me say good bye to our new toys," said her jolly side.

"Fine." And Tira shifted into her jolly side. She laughed and looked at her two injured opponent with a crazy gleam in her violet eyes. "Thanks for the great fun; me and my buddy hasn't played with such amusing toys for so long. You two would've been so beautiful when I broke you! Oh well, I'll just have to do that the next time we meet." Stepping slowly backwards, Tira let out a little giggle. "I'll tell you a little secret... Soul Edge has regained most its powers already; the next time we meet, I'll offer you guys as the main course! Doesn't that sound yummy? For now, bye-bye!" Running over to one of the windows, she smashed it and jump through.

"Damn you!" Raphael rushed over and looked down but he couldn't see where she had ran off to. Only his trees from gardens greeted him and he curled his hands into fists. Under normal circumstances, Raphael would have sent his servants to chase down her down and kill her, but he had more important matters to attend to at the moment. He cam over to Talim's side and said comfortingly, "Hold still ma petite."

"Auuhh." Talim winced as her wounds throbbed. "It hurts..."

Raphael noticed and he squeezed her hands reassuringly. "Don't worry, I'm here for you." Ripping a section of his cape, he motioned for Talim to stand still so that he could try to stop the bleeding on her midsection. Bending down, he could see that the wounds varied in degrees of fatality. Most were rather deep but some weren't too serious. However some of them may scar if he doesn't treat them quickly. Wrapping the fabric around her, he tied it quickly and applied pressure to the wounds. He had tried to make it as less painful as possible but Talim still whimpered in pain. "Come, I'll get you some sleep medicine to help take away the pain."

He helped her lean against him but as they started to head back upstairs to the second floor, a maid appeared at the top of the broken hand railings. When she saw her master, she rushed down and bowed low. "Master! Mistress Amy has found the intruders and is currently engaging in battle with them. They're currently fighting near the foyer on the main floor."

Hearing this, Raphael grabbed his rapier and started to follow the maid but then he remembered his injured partner. Turning back to her, he told her to go back to her room and wait for his return. Talim shook her head and a strange look crossed her face. "No, you must take me with you. I'm going to prevent any more casualties from happening."

"Talim, you can barely stand. How can you expect me to believe you're still capable of fighting?"

"I..." Looking at Raphael, she knew that he would probably hate her when he realized that she had helped Dampierre and Cassandra rescued their friend. But that was the only way she could try and prevent any more lives from being lost in the war. In a small voice, she asked, "Raphael, do you trust me?"

Raphael looked at her questionably. In his heart, he knew that she and Amy were the only two people in this world that he could completely trust. But he was a little taken back by her question. "Why do you ask?"

"Please, just answer me Raphael."

Looking into her big brown eyes, he smiled and nodded. "I trust you." When she didn't say anything, he frowned and came up to her. "Talim, is there something you wish to tell me?"

Talim put a hand to her heart and seemed to draw inwards. "I'm afraid."

"Of what?" Raphael pulled her back and reached for her hand. "What's wrong?"

"Will you... hate me if I, did something you did not like?" Talim asked sorrowfully.

In reply, Raphael hugged her, taking care to not touch her injuries. "After all we've been through, I can't imagine ever hating you, Talim." He pulled back and placed a hand on her medallion. "We are very different and I understand that. Don't be silly in thinking that if you did something I did not like, I would hate you. Instead, I would understand that you had your reasons and I shall even do my best to accept it." He gave her a smile. "I think we've both come to appreciate our differences, haven't we?"

"Then you'll let me come with you?" Talim asked. "Please?"

Raphael sighed and bend down. "Yes. But I'll be carrying you the rest of the way there. There's no way I'm letting you walk in that condition."

Her heart ached to hear that he trusted her and cared for her; it made her happy to hear that but she realized he would probably no longer feel that way after they confront Cassandra and her friends. She knew him too well. Even though he said he wouldn't hate her, she knew he would react differently when he found out. She was terrified of losing him but she'd rather sacrifice their current relationship and have him think ill of her rather than see him and Amy in danger or anymore needless deaths. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she climbed onto his back and held on tightly.

"Don't worry Talim, I won't let go. You don't have to hold on so tightly," said Raphael.

"I'm sorry…" Talim whispered softly.

There was something in her voice that worried him, so he turned his head to check if she was alright. "There's no need to apologize for such a trivial thing Talim. Is something still bothering you?"

"No. It's nothing. We should get going, Amy's probably waiting for us," Talim replied.

He nodded and ordered his maid to start leading the way. As they walked through the brightly lit hallways, she let her head rest against his soft hair. Closing her eyes, she wished that she could just run away from it all.

* * *

><p>Ducking under Hilde's lance, Amy retaliated with a quick sword thrust that was blocked by Hilde's short sword. Amy's eyes narrowed in frustration at the lack of openings in the fight and she stepped backward to analyze the situation. Dawn was about two hours away; the longer the fight dragged on, the worse the situation was turning for her and her servants. She looked at the prisoners viciously fighting back with the weapons they've taken from the dungeons and pursed her lips. Her father tried to keep them in good conditions since they needed to be bleed regularly. A sick man produces foul tasting blood and they can't afford to lose too many prisoners to the jaws of death since it was difficult to find anymore humans around their castle. It looks like that decision was going to cost them for now.<p>

"How annoying," Amy hissed in frustration. The Greek warrior and the weird moustache man were fighting three opponents each and she could tell they were experienced with the amount of damage they were inflicting. Her servants roared with pain as they were cut and blood dripped onto the gleaming black marble floor in pools of crimson red. The white carpets greedily lapped up the liquid and turned red. They were going to take a horrendously long time to clean. If she could recapture the princess, then she would still have a chance of securing a victory.

Readjusting her lance, Hilde faced the young girl and said, "There's no need for us to fight. I've decided to withdraw my army, and I swear upon my honor that I speak the truth."

Flicking some dust off her sleeves, Amy replied in a sarcastic tone of voice, "Do you think I'm that gullible? How can you expect me to believe such nonsense princess?"

"If you will not stand down, then I have no choice but to defeat you with everything I have," said Hilde, pointing her lance at Amy.

Amy merely responded by mimicking the same gesture with her Albion. "Efforts, talents. They are meaningless. You will not leave here in one piece." Dashing to Hilde's right, Amy spun her rapier in her hand and slashed at Hilde's right arm. Hilde quickly parried the blow, but Amy followed up with a swift kick, accompanied with a low stab that pierced Hilde's armor and inflicted a small wound on her side. Ignoring the small wound, Hilde sliced her sword through the air towards Amy thigh. Dodging the attack, Amy pressed forward and unleashed a series of quick vertical strikes. Hilde's armor protected her from most of the attacks and Hilde retaliated by swinging her lance in wide arc to create some space between her and Amy. Quickly countering the princess of Wolfkrone's move, Amy grabbed onto her lance and to Hilde's shock, Amy raised her rapier to thrust it through her eyes.

"Oh no you don't!" Cassandra jumped in and intercepted the move with her sword and she slammed her shield hard into Amy and knocked her away.

Rolling away, Amy got back up and gave a small grunt of pain at the bruise that was starting to spread on her right hip. She slashed the air and her eyes flashed. "You will regret that..."

"Please stop!" cried a familiar voice. Amy turned around to see her and her father standing on the main stairs that was connected to the grand entrance of their castle. She saw that Talim was heavily injured and was leaning against her father for support. Raphael was also covered in wounds although they were less serious compared to Talim's. The fighting immediately ceased as the servants looked to toward their lord for their next orders. Cassandra and Dampierre also commanded the prisoners to stop since they've also recognized Talim's voice. Under the bright lights of their candle chandeliers, everyone paused to look at the two newcomers and waited to see what was going on.

Cassandra stepped forward and asks in concerned voice, "Talim, are you alright?"

Talim hesitated for a moment before she gave a weak nod. "I'll be okay. But why are you fighting? You promised me you would take Hilde and leave."

Raphael eyes widened at what Talim said. "What… is the meaning of this Talim? You… helped them find their princess? I thought you were kidnapped…" He stepped back from Talim and she fell to her knees. Looking down at her, the accusation in his voice was clear. "You conspired with my enemies against me?"

Hearing the despair of betrayal in his voice, Talim heart felt like it was breaking into pieces. Amy could see the sadness on her friend's face so she also stepped forward. "Talim, I know you must have a reason for this. Please explain, did they threaten you to help them?"

She shook her head slowly. "No… I helped them out of my own free will. But I know I did the right thing." Talim sniffed and continued. "They promised me that once they find Hilde, they would convince her to take her army away from here and leave… I did not want to see any more people die. I don't want to see you and Raphael in danger. I- I just- I..." but Talim was unable to continue as tears started flowing down her cheeks.

Feeling sorry for the priestess, and she felt that it was her duty to repay her debt, Hilde spoke up in a loud voice. "And for what you've done, I promise that I'll take my army and leave. I won't seek revenge for my capture and I will try to persuade the generals of Wallachia to withdraw as well."

Raphael glared at Hilde and gripped his Flambert alittle tighter. "I don't trust you."

"But you trust Talim, don't you?" said Dampierre, looking at the crying girl. "Everything she's done was done with you and your daughter's wellbeing in mind. Surely you can trust her when she says that we'll uphold our promise?"

"Be quiet. Whether I trust her or not is none of your concern," Raphael snapped. He looked out the window and saw that dawn was almost here. To continue fighting would be pointless and suicidal. But he wasn't going to give their intruders an easy victory. Addressing Hilde, he began to bargain. "I shall let you leave, on two conditions."

Hilde narrowed her eyes at him. "What conditions?"

"First, you cannot take my prisoners with you. They are mine and I will not let them go that easily. Second, if you can't convince the Wallachians to leave, then you must agree to detain them for a week. I don't care if you have to use force, but you cannot let them advance toward my castle within seven days," said Raphael.

Cassandra growled,"Are you insane! Those conditions are preposterous! We'll never agree to them!"

"Cassandra, shush. This is not the time to say or act rashly," warned Dampierre. He stroked his moustache and considered the deal they were being offered. The prisoners did not seem to be treated too badly here, so they could consider leaving them behind. But the second condition was another thing. Wallachia was Wolfkrone's ally and it would be bad enough to have Hilde withdraw her army. Their relations would be further damaged if Hilde ordered her soldiers to fight against them if they wanted to invade Raphael's domain. It was only for a week but this was certainly going to be difficult. Facing Raphael, he tried to bargain as well. "Your second condition is alittle harsh, monsieur. Can't you offer us another choice?"

Sneering, Raphael answered him, "Oui, you could leave your lives here instead of wasting my time. Is it a deal or not?"

Moving over to Hilde, Dampierre told her about his point of view on their situation. Cassandra also joined in and the three were deep in discussion. Listening to her friends, Hilde bit her lips and decided that there was really no other option left. This was a hard decision to make, but to her, it was merely another one out of the hundreds of choices she's had to make ever since her father fell ill. Looking down at the ground Hilde nodded curtly. "Deal…" and left. The prisoners stood there helplessly as Cassandra and Dampierre looked at them with pity and left with their friend as well. The servants stood aside for the trio to pass by and Raphael laughed triumphantly from the top of the stairs.

Hilde closed her eyes and tried to block out the sound of his laughter as she walked out of that terrible castle. But her heart heard everything in perfect clarity, especially the cries and wails of the prisoners as they were recaptured. She hoped that the priestess would be able to cure this place of this strange disease so that someday, those prisoners may be free again. "Forgive me…"

As the prisoners were being led back to their cells, Raphael looked down at the tearful priestess. He knew that she had betrayed him for intentionally good reasons and that she did it because she cared for him and his daughter; but the bitter taste of betrayal was still hard to swallow down.

"Raphael..." Talim looked up at him and her tears clung to her eyelashes. "I'm-"

"I don't want to hear it," Raphael cut in harshly. Being a man that rarely trusted anyone, he was deeply affected by her betrayal and he felt unable to forgive her. Before he could say anything though, she closed her eyes and keel over. Involuntarily, he reached for her but he stopped himself at the last second before coldy withdrawing his hand.

Amy quickly ran up the stair towards her fallen friend. "Talim! Are you alright? Answer me."

His gaze drifted to the fabric wrapped around her torso and he saw that it was soaked in blood. He would have to treat the wound quickly or else she would suffer even more blood loss. But when he spoke, his voice was clipped and cold. "Don't worry Amy, this is nothing."

"Father, I know you're angry with her, but you must treat her injuries quickly," said Amy. "She's going to die from blood loss with the amount of blood she's losing at this rate."

He shrugged and said indifferently, "If you strongly insist so... then I suppose I can deal with her later when she's at least conscious."He handed Amy his Flambert and picked Talim up his arm. Looking straight ahead, he carried her without any trace of warmth in both his posture and his eyes.

* * *

><p>Outside, the sun had risen up high in the sky and when the army of Wallachia and Wolfkrone saw the arrival of Hilde and her two comrades, they burst into cheers and gave the trio a hero's return. But Hilde merely smiled at them sadly and declined the celebration. Walking over to the tents of the generals of Wallachia, accompanied by her own war generals, she raised the flap and stepped inside.<p>

The people inside were having an important war meeting but they immediately got up to give her a warm welcome. Holding a hand for their attention, she said, "I'm afraid I have some bad news for you. I, Hildegard von Krone, have decided to withdraw my army from this war. Quiet!" The sounds of protests quickly died down and Hilde continued, "And I will not allow the army of Wallachia to attack or take one step towards the enemy's territory for seven days. After seven days, you may do whatever you wish, but if you insist on resisting what I've just said, you shall feel the might of my army against you."

Wallachia's leader, general Sevika, a strong young man with short chestnut hair and dark blue eyes, stood up and shouted, "Have you no honor princess! You would abandon an ally in the middle of a war and you say you would even turn against us if we do not agree to stay here like sitting ducks for seven days! By that time, the enemy would've prepared some strategy to wipe us off the face of this world. You coward!"

Hilde's generals placed a hand on their sheathed swords and made an angry sound but Hilde motioned for them to stay back. "Call me what you want, but I have nothing more to say. I shall take my army and camp on the other side of the river so that you wouldn't have to see us. But be warned, the distance between us is not that great. I can still mobilize my troops to attack you if you try to invade the enemy's domain in seven days. You have been a great ally, and I'm sorry we must part like this... Farewell." She walked out of the tent and gave her generals strict orders to gather all her soldiers and move camp. They would leave as soon as possible. Looking at the rising sun, Hilde sighed. "It's dawn... and yet my heart feels as if it's still a dark and cold night."

Dampierre and Cassandra stood by her side and the three looked heavenward at the crystal blue sky and golden rays of the sun. The Greek warrior nudged Hilde and shook her head. "Come on Hilde, this is no time to act like this."

Hilde brushed back a strand of her red hair and blinked against the light. "Yes... you're right. For my people and country, I must continue moving forward. After seven days, we continue onward to Ostrheinsburg. A much more deadly battle awaits us. Although..." Hilde turned regretfully in the direction of Raphael's castle. "I worry about that young priestess. How will that man treat her now that he knows that she helped us."

Dampierre mused, "Even though that poor young girl really liked Raphael, she still risked everything to help us. Le Bello has to admit that he's quite impressed by her selflessness."

"Unlike somebody," muttered Cassandra.

Hearing that, Dampierre grinned. "Who doesn't love money?"

Hilde didn't pay attention to her comrade's bickering. Instead, she continued looking in the direction of the dark cast and all of a sudden, a soft wind blew past them and Hilde could've sworn she heard a soft thank you. Shaking her head, Hilde whispered, "No... thank you, Talim."

* * *

><p>After dressing Talim's wound, Raphael laid her down in her bed and stared down at her. The dark room reflected his mood since he had let down all of the curtains to block out the warm glow of the morning sun. His heart felt empty when he looked at her and he briefly remembered telling her that he would not hate her, no matter what. But... she betrayed him. He thought he could trust her, and believe that she was different. Raphael leaned against the bedpost and laughed to himself silently as he covered his eyes. How foolish of him, to care and love her, when she probably did not feel the same way.<p>

**How foolish indeed... She's the same as everyone out there. The same as your family... who also betrayed you, Raphael. They have never loved you and they never will. Talim will never love someone... like you. You are a malfested and she's a holy priestess; how can she ever consider loving such a beast, that drinks the blood of living humans. **

Raphael did not question or reject what the Soul Edge shard was saying to him. Deep in his heart, he had always feared Talim rejecting him because he was malfested. And now that she betrayed him, he was sure that she never had any feelings for him.

**That's right. If she loved you, she would never have betrayed you. Get rid of her. She hurt you, didn't she? Why do you still care for her? The moon and sun can never be together. Get her out of your sight so that you can start forgetting her.**

Raphael took out the malevolent shard and gripped it in his hand. His gaze wandered back over to Talim; hesitating on what he should do. Finally, he turned and left the room and his eyes burned with hate and hurt.

The door slammed shut with a loud bang and it woke the wind priestess up. Talim laid still for a moment before closing her eyes, and a single tear slipped down her cheek.

* * *

><p><em>Pity not the body that grows old... but mourn the love that dies too soon. Can it be revived? Or will it be bury in the sand of times and memories? Who can tell... but fate herself?<em>


	17. Banished from the Heart

After treating Talim's wounds, Raphael left and prepared himself and his army for the upcoming battle. With the sun up, Amy retired to bed with a weary body and an even wearier heart. But as soon as the moon made it appearance in the night sky, Amy returned to her friend side but did not disturb her. Talim needed all the rest she could get. But right now, she was alittle more worried about the way her father was now treating Talim.

She knew that it would take a lot of time and effort for him to forgive Talim for what she had done and she had never seen her father so furious. She could sense that he was deeply saddened as well, but this emotion was more carefully hidden than his anger. With a sigh, Amy pulled the blankets up a little higher for Talim and sat back down in her chair. "I don't blame you for what you've done. I know you did it for our sake. No one else would've cared so much for us; but you, you have given your all to protect us monsters. You are a good person Talim, and I thank whatever god or deity is out there for bringing you to us."

* * *

><p>On the second night, Talim finally woke up. Amy was eating lunch and she yelled for the servants to tell her father the good news and to bring Talim some food as well.<p>

"At once mi'lady." The maids curtsied and bowed out.

Talim tried to sit up but Amy stopped her. "Don't move Talim, you'll reopen your wounds. How do you feel?"

"I'm…. fine. Can you get me a bucket please…" said Talim breathlessly.

Amy called for another servant to fetch a bucket and she ran over to open all the windows, hoping that the fresh air would help. One of the butlers arrived with a bucket and held it to Talim. Talim promptly threw up in it and gasped at the pain that surged through her torso. There wasn't much to throw up but the smell made her even sicker and she fell back onto the blankets, with beads of perspiration on her forehead. "I'm so… sorry."

Ordering the butler to take the bucket and go, Amy returned to Talim's bedside and wiped Talim's face with her purple silk handkerchief. "It's okay. Just take it easy and rest alright."

"You're not angry at me?" Talim asked weakly.

Amy pat Talim on the hand and reassured her that she still considered her a friend. "No. I understand that you did what you believed to be right thing, for everyone. In the end, it worked out pretty well." Just then, one of the maids entered, carrying a tray of hot soup. Handing the tray over to Amy, she said, "Is there anything else you require mi'lady?"

"No, you may leave us now," And Amy dismissed the maid with a wave of her hand. Spooning some of the soup, Amy held it to Talim's lips and the priestess swallowed the nutritious liquid gratefully.

"Thank you Amy. I'm sorry for being such a nuisance."

Amy gave her a strict look. "Stop saying things like that. You've been a wonderful presence in our lives Talim, and I couldn't be happier to have met you. There's no need to look at the little details. Here, eat some more soup."

Talim swallowed another mouthful of soup and smiled. "I'm very happy, that you still consider me a friend Amy. It may seem a little hard to believe but I don't have many friends in this world."

Amy looked at the priestess with surprise. "That is quite hard to believe. I would imagine that someone like you would make friends everywhere you go."

Remembering her days back at her village, Talim began to tell Amy of her life there. "With the arrival of the Spanish and the Portuguese, many people, especially the young, began to lose faith in the powers of the wind. I was the only one in my generation to continue following traditions and rituals. My father was the shaman of the village and my grandmother was the village elder, which meant that our family was very highly regarded in the village. When I was born, I showed great talent in reading the wind and I became the youngest wind priestess the village has ever seen. But all these things only serve to distance me away from everyone else since I spent most of my time training with the elders and my father." Talim let out a few coughs and resumed her story. "The other kids respected me but it was very hard for them to be close to someone so different. So the only people I could really talk to were my family, the elders, and my pet bird Alun. Sad isn't it?"

"I'm sorry for bringing up such memories for you Talim," Amy apologized quietly.

Talim smiled and continued. "It's alright. I had more than what most people have in this world. My parents loved me for one thing. And no one was mean to me so I couldn't really complain. When I went on this journey, my main purpose was to restore balance to the world; but secretly, I was also hoping to meet and make new friends as well." Her gaze drifted over to the closed windows and the light from the candles reflected the sad light in her eyes. "And... I longed to see what the world out there was like. The wind brought me so many images and sights but I wanted to go and see them for myself. In trade for peace, my village has sacrificed our freedom..."

Talim then proceeded to tell Amy about her adventures, the places she's seen and how she met her first friend name Yun-Seong and how she had cured an orphan at a watermill village. Amy listened intently and only interrupted a few times to ask some questions. "When this is all over, I hope to return to that village and take care of those poor orphans," Talim said wistfully.

Since Amy was also an orphan, she was touched by Talim's charity and generosity. "That's really kind of you to do so. I'm sure you'll be a wonderful mother for them."

"I hope I'll be a good parent like Raphael, since he's a wonderful father," Talim said admiringly. "Oh, but I'm too young to be a mother. Being an older sister would make more sense."

Amy chuckled. "I think you look very much like a mother. After all, you just radiate warmth and coziness everywhere you go. I'll bet little babies are crazy for you."

Talim also laughed and the girls continued talking into the night. After awhile, a maid entered the room and curtsied. "What took you so long? Where's my father?" Amy asked.

"My apologies my lady, but the master said he was too busy to come," answered the maid meekly.

Talim looked down at her blankets sadly. She knew that he wouldn't come, but she couldn't help hoping. "He must hate me..."

Amy dismissed the maid and gave Talim a few comforting pats on her hand. "Don't worry, he acts like he doesn't care but I'm sure he's relieved to know you're awake. You know him; he's tough on the outside but soft on the inside."

Talim smiled. "Too bad you have to spend years chipping away at the outside until you finally reach the soft part."

"Or you can just cheat and look for a weak spot. He's secretly fond of key lime pies," giggled Amy. "When you've recovered a little more, I'll take you down to the kitchens and you can make some."

"Aren't you worried that I'll blow up your second kitchen?" And Talim grimaced at the memory of that disaster.

"Don't worry, we have three kitchens. But I think it would be better if I helped you since I'd rather have father buy me a new dress than a new kitchen," Amy replied playfully.

"Yes, that would be fun..." Talim yawned.

Taking the tray of unfinished soup, Amy stood up and began letting down at light green canopy. "I think you should rest some more. I'll come back later and we can eat dinner."

Talim nodded sleepily and closed her eyes. Shutting the door quietly, Amy passed the tray into a maid waiting hands and walked in the direction of her father's study.

* * *

><p>Raphael was sitting in his desk trying to reorganize his papers that got messed up during the fight with Tira and every once in awhile, he would mutter something in French and throw away some papers that was apparently no longer needed. After awhile, he decided to go for a walk to get the blood flowing again. After walking around for a quarter of an hour, he was stepping up the west stairs to return to his study when he noticed a piece of metal that was lying on one of the steps. Picking it up, he recognized it as a piece from Talim's left elbow blade. "This... oh."<p>

He stared at it thoughtfully and remembered how she had arrived and saved him even though she was in no condition to fight. And their combo together at the end was perfectly executed since they had coordinated their moves together in a wonderful dance of grace and power. It was almost as if they could read each other's mind during the fight. Hesitantly, he pocketed the shard and returned to his study. Next, he proceeded to continue his work. He had just sat down when someone started knocking on his door. "Come in!"

Amy stepped through the doorway and crossed her arms. She stared at her father and he stared back. This went on for about a minute until Raphael gave an exasperated sigh. "What is it Amy?"

"Why didn't you visit Talim?" she replied evenly.

He motioned to the mountain of papers he was going through. "Does it look like I have time?"

Amy merely readjusted one of her pigtails and said, "If it was me, you would be there."

Raphael leaned back in his chair and looked at his difficult daughter. "I'm your father, of course I would do that."

"But you would've done the same thing for Talim two nights ago."

He turned away from her and denied it. "She's merely an acquaintance. Nothing more."

"How can you say that? Everything she's done wasn't for her but for us. She merely did what she believed was the right thing to do. Everything worked out in the end, didn't it? So why do you have to be mad at her," questioned Amy.

Raphael put a hand down on his desk. "The main point of your whole question can be met with a very simple answer Amy, the fact is that she betrayed me," said Raphael, standing up to look out at his new repaired window. He ran a hand over his fine hair and his breath misted the cold glass. "I don't want to continue this conversation; please, just leave your father alone for abit."

Amy turned away reluctantly and looked at him with half closed eyes. "I see; continuing would be a waste of breath but... I have one thing to say before I leave father. Don't do anything you'll regret." And Amy left the study.

The door closed with a soft thud and Raphael deliberated on what to do. He did care about Talim and he wanted to forgive her but something was telling him not to. With a sound of frustration, he closed his eyes and leaned against the window. Deeply conflicted, he bit his lips and thought about her. She didn't love him. So why was it so difficult to make his decision and part ways with her. But deep inside, there was still a sliver of hope that if he forgave her, then everything could return to normal. They could return to their old days and be happy again... "Should I forgive her?" he whispered. The metal shard of Soul Edge glowed a sinister purple in his pocket.

**No, she threw away your trust like it was garbage… you can't forgive her that easily. Don't you remember how it felt, to have your family betray you? You hate them don't you? Why don't you hate her? Forget about her, Raphael. You'll feel much better... all you need, is Amy and power. And why would you want to return to the old days? They were probably all lies anyway... After all, she never loved you. At best, you two were mere... acquaintances.**

Slowly, Raphael reached into his pocket and extracted the small metal shard from Talim's left elbow blade. Opening the windows, he threw it as far as he could and when he could see it no more, he slammed it shut and returned to his desk. Outside, the wind cried a mournful aria.

* * *

><p>Talim looked up from the ingredients she was mixing and sighed. It was the fifth day since her battle with Tira and she had made a pretty quick recovery. It was all thanks to Raphael's medical skills and she hoped that the pie she was making him would be a sufficient thank you gift. Amy had wanted to help but Talim insisted on making the pie all by herself so Amy was merely walking around the kitchen and looking at the various ingredients in boredom. This was her third attempt but she was determined to stay here all night until she succeeded.<p>

"Amy, you don't have to stay here with me, I can tell that you're bored." Talim wiped the flour off her apron and smiled at her friend.

Picking up a jar of honey, Amy examined it carefully and had a small taste. Satisfied she placed it back down. "It's alright Talim, I'm going to go around the kitchen and try some of the food so I won't be that bored. Make sure you don't mix the ingredients too hard. The pie shell will become too thin if you do that."

"Okay." Talim mixed the ingredients a little more gently, lifting the spoon out, she had a small taste and smiled. She hoped that Raphael would like the pie when it was fully cooked. And to be honest, she looked forward to seeing him. She had missed him and even though he refused to visit her, she bore him no ill thoughts. After all, she was responsible for hurting him. Touching her medallion, she hoped that he could find it in his heart to forgive her.

* * *

><p>"General Sevika, are you sure that's a good idea? If the plan fails, we'll be fighting Wolfkrone's army and those monsters at the same time," said his second in command general.<p>

"It'll work; I have lived in this country all my life. The river those traitors are camping by always floods around this time. By my estimation, it should be either today or tomorrow. And when it does, there's no way Wolfkrone will be able to cross it. We'll use the chance to launch a swift and powerful assault on those monsters and kill them all," replied General Sevika confidently as he continued looking over the plans in his war tent.

"But if the river starts to flood during the night, then we'll be fighting them when they're at their strongest. After all, the rivers in this area have never flooded too badly in the past." said his concerned second in command.

Sevika snickered. "Fool, if that happens, then it'll be a surprise attack, they'll never expect it. Either way, we have the advantage on our side." Walking out of the tent, Sevika smiled up at the heavy dark rain clouds blocking the moon. Yes, it won't be long now.

* * *

><p>"Do you think it's alright Amy?" said a rather nervous Talim as she looked at her friend who was examining the pie with a critical eye.<p>

"The crust seems to be firm enough, and it smells great. I don't think there's anything wrong." Turning towards the old chief, Amy asked, "What do you think?"

The old man also examined the pie and he announced, with a smile on his face, that it was fine. "Lady Talim, I'm sure the master will be very pleased when he has a taste of it."

Amy smiled and added, "Because it's made with love."

Blushing a bright red, Talim stuttered "It's –it's a thank you gift. Don't be silly."

"I never said what type of love it was Talim. Which kind did you think I was talking about?" said Amy mischievously.

"Oh look at the time! We're going to be late for dinner, let's go Amy." Donning a pair of kitchen gloves, Talim carefully carried her fresh key lime pie out of the kitchen. Walking out with the pie, Talim kept repeating to herself her new mantra. _Just friends. Just friends. Just friends._ But deep inside, she was starting to question her feelings... Of course, when she saw her friend's smile, she continued repeating her mantra. _Just friends. Just friends. Just friends. _

An amused Amy followed closely behind and when she shook her head, her red curly pigtails waved from side to side. "Ahh... Talim, you're so fun to tease."

Arriving at the dining room, Talim placed the pie onto the table, beside their courses of mushroom soup, salads with oil dressings, roasted shrimps, etc that was already set out on the table. Talim and Amy sat down in their seats and waited for Raphael to arrive so they can start dinner. They had been sitting there for about ten minutes and Talim was starting to worry that he might skip dinner. After all, he's been going into town and readying the citizens for the upcoming battle, so he might not come back in time for dinner. When she heard the front doors opened and the servants welcoming their lord back, Talim sighed in relief.

Amy gave her friend a quick glance. "Relax, everything will work out."

Talim nodded and looked down at her plate and hoped that she was right. But she still fiddled with the tablecloth and wondered about what she should say when she saw him. Before she could come up with a sufficient greeting, she heard his voice.

"Amy, I'm back."

And Raphael appeared before her. His eyes narrowed slightly when he saw her and they stared at each other. She hadn't seen him for three days, but she did not expect him to look so different. Physically, he was still the tall and lovely man she had known. But there was something very different about him that she couldn't quite pinpoint. The aura around him was a little more distorted than usual, but she figured that she might still be a little weak from her injuries which might be why the evil energy around him felt a little stronger than usual. But his eyes... they seemed alittle darker than usual.

Amy gave her foot a nudge under the table and Talim said hesitantly, "Welcome back, Rapha-"

Before she could finish, he spoke up and said in a cold voice, "Talim, you need to leave."

Biting her lips, Talim closed her eyes sadly. "I understand... I'll take my dinner to my room."

She started to get out of her chair but Raphael spoke up again. "No, I meant that you need to leave my castle."

Time seemed to freeze as the last word dropped from his lips. 'Leave my castle...'. Talim was rooted to the spot as her brain tried to absorb what he had said.

Amy quickly stood up in objection. "Father! Do you understand what you're saying?"

"I understand perfectly well what I'm saying Amy. I have repaid my debt to her by saving her two times, just as she had saved me two times. There's nothing left between us," Raphael declared calmly. Motioning for one of the servants to come forward, he ordered him to fetch the crescent blades in his study. "Your elbow blades broke in the fight with that strange girl; I have a pair of similar weapons that I bought as decorative treasures for my castle. Once you take them, there will be nothing left unsaid between us." And the servant tasked with bringing the weapons appeared as Raphael finished speaking.

"My lord, your crescent blades," said the servant as he held out the weapons.

Raphael tilted his head toward Talim and the servant hastened over to give it to her. Holding the beautiful moon shaped elbow blades, Talim suppressed the urge to cry. The double crescent blades were to be her parting gift then? "Thank you… I… will go now. But I shall pray to the wind for your happiness everyday, Raphael." Talim turned to leave but she looked over at Amy and said, "Good-bye Amy. Thanks for everything." Rushing out of the dining room, she clasped the weapons to her chest and ran to her room to pack.

* * *

><p>When she entered her room, Talim couldn't hold it in anymore and she burst into tears. She didn't want to leave. She still wanted to talk and play with Amy. And she still wanted to be beside him, and... Sinking down on the bed, Talim held her hands up to her eyes and wept. "Why must it end up like this... why?"<p>

* * *

><p>Amy made a move to go after the priestess but Raphael stopped her. "Just let her be Amy. You'll only be making it more difficult."<p>

"I shall be heading to my room then. I'm full."

"But you haven't eaten anything yet," Raphael pointed out.

"I'm still trying to digest what you've just done. Good night father," said Amy as she walked stiffly out the room.

Standing alone in the dining food, he felt uncomfortable as his servants stared at him. "All of you just get out!" His servants obediently left without a sound. Listening intently, he heard the front doors open and walking over to the dining room window, he pushed aside the red curtains and saw Talim leave. Up in the night sky, ominous storm clouds gathered around the small crescent moon. In his pocket, the evil shard glowed a twisted color of happiness as the priestess and her pure energy departed from the castle, which was once again draped in darkness.

* * *

><p><em>I can not forget the days we spent... all I can do, is grow to hate them. <em>

_I can no longer be by your side... but I shall continue to keep you in my heart._


	18. The End to a War

Pulling the cloak around her tighter, Talim continued walking through the streets. She made sure that her hat was secured on her head. Everyone that saw the symbol immediately recognized her as someone important to their master so they let her pass by safely. She had been walking for about an hour now and she estimated that it was probably about two in the morning. Thinking back to her schedule, she figured that she usually woke up at around six pm, eat a light breakfast, have lunch at eleven pm, and dinner was usually eaten around one or two am. Then she would go to bed at around seven or eight am.

Amy and Raphael preferred going to bed slightly earlier than her since they always felt tired as soon as the sun appeared. She hadn't had any dinner yet so she figured it wouldn't hurt to stop somewhere to eat. Looking around, she spotted a bakery and walked in. "Umm, excuse me is anyone in here?"

A short woman came out from the back of the shop; seeing Talim's hat, she smiled at her. "Oh a customer! What can I do for the master's lovely companion?"

"May I buy a few loaves of bread?" Talim asked politely, looking around the empty shop.

The shop owner laughed. "Of course darling. What kind of bakery would this be if we didn't have any bread. Excuse me for one moment while I take them out of the ovens." Wiping her hands on her apron, she walked back to the kitchen and came out with five perfect, steaming sweet buns and two normal loaves of fresh bread. "Here you go sweetie, enjoy."

Talim handed her some money from her money pouch and digged in. The warm food settled her stomach and the sweet taste and smell made her feel much better. The shop keeper looked at her and asked, "Is it good?"

Talim was about to answer but she started choking. "Gowed- cough- vewe goos cough-cough"

"Hold on dearie! I'll get you some water." And she rushed to the kitchen to get Talim a glass of water. Handing it to the priestess, she said" Feeling better?"

Talim nodded thankfully. Looking around the small but warmly lit shop, she asked, "I can't help but notice that there's not many people around. Is something happening?"

At this, the woman sighed tiredly and wiped her hand on her apron again. "With the upcoming battle, all of the men have been conscripted into the master's army. They're currently setting up traps and such while we women and children stay behind in our houses and shops. Not that anyone's feeling like buying anything. You're my first customer in the past five days honey."

"Oh, I see. But what are you going to do if the fighting escalates to here?" Talim asked in a concern voice.

The woman laughed good humouredly. "Then we women and children will fight of course. With our new strengths, we can take any soldiers on. But if they attack during the day, then I'll be worried. But still, the master is a cunning man, I'm sure he has a plan to end the war quickly. Now is there anything else you need darling?"

Talim shook her head. "I'll just wrap the two loaves of bread and take them with me."

"Are you going somewhere?" asked the shopkeeper curiously.

Fiddling with her brown cloak, Talim nodded sadly.

"Awww, that's too bad. You were a great influence on the master. I've never seen him so… not him before," said the woman. "In fact, I was there when I saw the three of you dancing during the autumn festival. It was simply splendid my dear. Will you be coming back?"

"I'm not sure, maybe," Talim lied quietly. She doubted that Raphael would ever want to see her again. Thinking about him made her eyes water and she quickly looked down.

The woman nodded understandingly. "If you do return, remember to drop by again. I'll make you bread that's much better than this when I have the right amount of ingredients." Smiling, the priestess left with her two loaves of bread.

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, Raphael was eating dinner alone. To be accurate, he was poking at it more than he was eating it. The shrimps on his plate looked like it was infested with big ant bites since he had stabbed it about a million times and the salad had wilted from such terrible torture. Glancing at the rest of the food on the table, he sighed and pushed away his plate. He was about to leave when he noticed a key lime pie innocently sitting behind his white oriental vase containing his roses, that served as the table's centerpiece.<p>

A few pink rose petals had drifted onto the pie and it sat there, looking lovely and inviting on the table. Standing up, he reached for the pie, sliced off a small piece and chewed slowly. The sweet taste of sugar and fruity lime taste met together in his mouth and he quickly finished it. Licking his lips, he decided to save the rest of the pie for later. Calling for the servants to clean up, he also called for his old head chief as well. The old man arrived in a few minutes and asked in a quavering voice, what he could do for Raphael.

"Don't look so frightened old man. I merely called you here to compliment you. Your key lime pie was absolutely delicieuse. Make it again for tomorrow desert," Raphael ordered.

The old man bowed and murmured, "Your kindness is gratefully accepted my lord. But it wasn't me who made that pie."

Raphael cocked his head to one side. "Then who did?"

"It was the lady Talim my lord. She stayed in the kitchen for many hours, trying to make that pie. Even when she failed, she would just try again and she wouldn't let anyone help her. I'm happy to say that her efforts paid off," explained the head chief. When Raphael didn't say anything, the old man looked at his master worriedly. "Is something wrong my lord?"

"It's nothing… Go back to the kitchen. I'm fine." And Raphael dismissed his head chief and the rest of the servants. Turning around to look outside, he saw that it was heavily raining and a fierce wind rattled the window panes. Was Talim going to be alright in this weather? He had sent her away at the worst time possible and he felt a deep sense of regret at what he had done.

The shard of soul edge could sense its powers over Raphael weakening; panicking it conveyed its own twisted logic and tried to sway its host.

**Why do you trouble yourself with that traitor, Raphael? She obviously doesn't love you, or else she would've protested against leaving you. That pie? Are you going to forget and forgive her just because she made you a pie? **Do not be silly. She must have known you were foolish enough to forgive her by doing such a thing. Are you going to fall for such a trick? Are you that weak?****

Raphael clutched his head to try and block out the voice. "Be quiet! She's not like that!"

**How do you know? She's a treacherous traitor. How can you still believe in her? I won't lie to you Raphael. I will give you power… All you have to do is trust me. **

Raphael cursed silently. He didn't know what to do anymore. He was just so confused and deep down, he was afraid of being hurt by Talim once more. But... Raphael stepped back when a fierce wind rattled the wind panes, as if it was calling for him. Talim... He closed his eyes and thought back to what he said to her.

_"We are very different and I understand that. Don't be silly in thinking that if you did something I did not like, I would hate you. Instead, I would understand that you had your reasons and I shall even do my best to accept it."_

That's right. He had let his anger blind him to the truth. What Amy had said was right. She merely betrayed him because she thought it would be best that no more lives are lost. He had hated her for being kind when he remembered that it was because of her compassion and kindness that he fell for her. Taking the shard out of his pocket, Raphael looked down at the vile object in his hand and snarled. "It's because of you that I and Amy are no longer human... And now, it's also because of you that I've lost Talim. I am no puppet to be manipulated!"

**No! Raphael! No!"**

He threw the shard down on the ground and ground it to dust with his heel. Satisfied, he stepped back and took in a deep breath. It was good to be finally rid of that thing. He was about to order his servants to ready his horse so he could find Talim and bring her back. But this plan was abruptly interrupted in the form of gasping and terrified soldier who had scrambled into the room. "How dare you enter without my permission! Do you want to die?"

"My lord! I bring terrible news! The army of Wallachia has launched a surprise attack and they're swiftly moving this way!" gasped the soaking wet soldier.

Raphael was stunned that something like this could happen. "What! My minions should be more than capable of handling such pathetic soldiers! What is the army of Wolfkrone doing? They gave me their word that they'll delay those Wallachians for at least a week. It's only the fifth day," Raphael snapped angrily.

The soldier cowered in fear at his master's fury and answered, "The river that they're camping by has overflowed its banks my lord. The army of Wolfkrone is unable to cross though such rapids. And…" The soldier hesitated before continuing in a small voice, "The army of Wallachia poisoned our drinking water. Many of our soldiers have died and as the rain carries the poisoned underground water further, even the townsfolk are affected. Although, the farther the poison travels, the more diluted it becomes so it'll no longer cause death for those who drink it. But it has greatly reduced our ability to fight since the victims feel extremely sick and after a few hours, they're wracked with terrible pains. Only three towns are left standing."

"Gather all up all the soldiers and tell them to strengthen the defense of the two towns that are closest to my castle then. I'll walk onto the battle field and lead the army myself."

The soldier quickly bowed out and ran to perform his tasks. Raphael headed to his armory to get ready himself. Opening the doors, he walked over to his Flambert and picked it up from its stand. The rapier has been repaired but he did not want to use it for this battle. Placing it back down, he picked up a blue, expensive and heavier rapier next to it; the legendary Queen's Guard. This rapier was focused more on defense and in some ways it was even better than his Flambert. The only reason why he preferred using Flambert was because it felt more comfortable and he was more familiar with his weight and range.

"I'm coming with you father."

Raphael turned around sharply to see Amy standing in the doorway with another rapier; Unicorn, in her hand. "No Amy, it's too dangerous. I won't allow it."

"I'm not going to sit and wait for you like a helpless doll anymore! And I'm not going to leave Talim to defend herself in that mess down there." Amy paused and added, "I don't anything to happen to both of you. I don't want to sit here in this castle and not know whether you guys are alive or dead..."

Raphael walked over to his daughter and placed a comforting hand on her head. She wasn't a child anymore, he knew that. But in his eyes, she was still his little girl and he did not want to see her in danger. However, every fledgling must one day leave their nest and fly so he gave in halfheatedly. "Then promise me you'll stay by my side daughter. We'll kill those wretches together." After a moment's thought he added, "And we'll bring Talim back."

Amy smiled. "We shall now fight... for our happiness."

And the two walked out to join the battle down below.

* * *

><p>"Please stop!" cried Talim as she blocked another attack from the soldier she was fighting. She had traveled quite a bit distance from the bakery shop when suddenly, soldiers poured out from every direction as fast as the rain that was pouring down on her. The citizens around her had quickly fought back, to defend themselves as well as satisfy their thirst for blood. At first they were winning but for some reason, the people started to moan in pain and falter in their attacks. The soldiers, Talim assumed, were from the Wallachian army. Sensing their advantage they pressed forward viciously.<p>

The civilians and Talim were quickly driven back from the second town to the first town that was closest to Raphael's castle. The enemies were experiencing more difficulties the closer they got to his castle since they were fighting uphill on mountainous terrains and they've lost quite abit of soldiers along the way. To make things worse for the Wallachians, reinforcements from Raphael's castle arrived and the battle began to even out. She did her best in searching for Raphael's injured people and taking them to safety in a nearby school. She carried a small wounded girl in and left her to the healers who were tending to the injured.

Walking out, one of the enemy soldiers had leapt out from the pouring rain and attacked her. Flipping away, Talim had tried to knock out the soldier with a swift punch to the head but that just made him angrier. After dodging his passionately furious but uncoordinated kicks and stabs, Talim did a sweeping kick that knocked him flat to the ground and one of the infected citizen quickly rushed forward to finish him off. Talim turned away sadly and left as the soldier was drained dry. She knew that they needed to drink blood so she did not feel disgusted or sickened by it. Nor did she see it as evil anymore but that didn't mean she wanted to see it. War… Only one side can win, and she knew it was selfish when she prayed that it would be Raphael's victory but she couldn't help it. Grasping her double crescent blades a little tighter, she searched around for more of Raphael's injured people.

* * *

><p>Deflecting a pathetic thrust, Raphael quickly swung his rapier and inflicted a deep cut on his opponent's throat. The man gurgled out a few dying sounds and toppled to the ground that was littered with corpses. Beside him, Amy stabbed a soldier through the heart and murmured, "Nuisance".<p>

He used this opportunity to look around for Talim but with the rain pouring into his eyes and the chaotic movement of people around him, he could barely see anything. "My lord! The archers are ready!" cried one of his soldiers. In the sky, lightning flashed and thunder roared over the clamor and loud cries of the people fighting below.

Analyzing the mass of bodies before him, Raphael shouted, "Aim to the west at a forty degrees angle! Now fire!" A deadly volley of sharp arrows shot through the air and headed toward their victim. Raphael smiled as his enemies cried out in pain.

"Monster! You'll pay for this!" And an enemy soldier charged towards Raphael with a raised axe.

Raphael didn't even look at him as he merely raised his sword and inflicted powerful slash that cut the man's head in two. Shaking his wet hair away from his face, Raphael mounted his black thoroughbred and began to ride around searching for Talim as well as issue orders to his soldiers. Amy did the same thing with her brown mare and the two rode around to search for their missing companion and drench their swords in their enemy's blood.

* * *

><p>Ducking behind some barrels, Talim took the opportunity to catch her breath and vomit. Evil energy from the dying civilians penetrated through the air like a festering wound. It wasn't as bad as last time but it pained her to move. Calling on the wind flowing around her, she passed the infected energy out of her body and into the rainy skies. Soaked with rainwater, the priestess felt the cold acutely like a thousand needles and the priestess shivered. "Wind, what should I do?"<p>

A powerful gust directed her upward and Talim nodded. She began to climb up the barrels and on to the roof. It took longer than expected since the walls were slick with rain and blood that splattered around the battlefield but she finally managed. Taking careful steps around the slippery rooftop, she looked around and gasped as she spotted Raphael and Amy. She was about to go to them but then she remembered that she was no longer welcomed in Raphael's eyes so she crouched there motionlessly as the rain poured down upon her. Swirling around, the wind pressed her to look a little closer at what they were doing so she brushed her wet hair out of her eyes and squinted.

They were riding around and yelling something but the war cries below and thunder above drowned out their voices. It looked like they were searching for someone but who could that possibly be. Unless.. "Are they looking for me?" A gust of wind answered her question. Placing her faith in her deity, she nodded.

Taking a deep breath, she ran and leaped onto the next rooftop. Landing safely, she continued jumping from rooftop to rooftop to get to them. She nearly fell off a few times but the wind always blew her in the opposite direction and she regained her balance. "I can make it… I've already come this far." And Talim resumed leaping forward onto her next roof.

* * *

><p>"Talim! Can you hear me?" cried Raphael, as he reins in his horse to look around. A soldier charged toward him with his lance and tried to impale the vampire lord. "Worthless dogs, learn your place!" And Raphael knocked the weapon aside easily and stabbed him through the chest.<p>

Swinging her sword to the left, Amy sliced through another neck and shouted, "Talim! Where are you?" Her horse let out a frightened whinny as a soldier tried to cut Amy's legs with a sharp long sword.

"Don't try to start a fight you can't win," said Amy as she twirled her rapier in her hand and deftly stab the soldier in the eye. The man backed away screaming, and was quickly killed by one of their minions. "Father! More enemies approaches from the west gate!" Amy cried as she spotted more enemy reinforcements.

Raphael whipped his horse to head toward the infiltrated gate and summoned his soldiers along the way to follow him. In an impatient voice he said, "Send the swordsmens to the frontline, the archers will back them up from the rooftops. Got it?" His warriors nodded and hurriedly ran forth to set the plan in motion.

Amy came up beside him and said, "Shall we give them a grand execution father?"

Stroking his wet rapier, he grinned and nodded. The two charged into the thick of the battle on their horses and trampled over their enemies like dirt. Swinging their sword, they effortlessly lopped off their enemies head without a trace of mercy on their beautiful faces.

Unbeknownst to them, General Sevika readied his crossbow from a rooftop and aimed it at the leader of those monsters. "In the name of the king, my country, and my dead wife, I will have this bolt fired into your black heart, demon."

* * *

><p>As Talim leaped onto the last roof, she saw Raphael right below her and she shouted in a loud voice, "Raphael!"<p>

The lord of the night heard his name and he immediately recognized Talim's voice. Turning towards the sound, he saw Talim leaning down from the roof. "Talim! You're safe! I'm-"He took a few seconds to dispatch the annoying soldier who had dared run up to him and when the man collapsed into a bloody puddle, he returned to his rudely interrupted conversation. "I'm sorry Talim! Will you forgive me? I wasn't myself when I told you to leave! I- I don't want you to leave."

She nodded happily. "I forgive you!" She jumped down the roof but as she did so she noticed a man pointing a crossbow at Raphael and her eyes widened. As she landed beside his horse, she quickly grabbed his leg and pulled him off it. It was not a second too late as she saw something black whizz by where his heart was.

"What are you doing Talim?" Raphael grumbled as he stood up from the ground and looked at the mud and bloodstains on his clothes.

The priestess quickly pointed at the man on the rooftop who was readying his crossbow for a second try. Raphael quickly spotted the man as well and he growled, "Archers! Fire in that direction and kill that fool!"

His archers felt their lord's command in their blood and quickly obeyed. They sent their own deadly projectiles toward General Sevika and the general dropped to the ground to avoid the missiles flying over his head. One could feel the hostility of his feelings a mile away as he bared his teeth in anger. His soldiers swiftly formed a protective wall around him and raised their weapon protectively.

His soldiers did the same thing, so that their master may get back on his mount and continue leading the charge. Getting back on his horse, he pulled Talim up behind him and they faced their enemy general. Amy and her brown mare came up beside them. "Welcome back Talim."

Talim smiled. "It's good to be back Amy. Are you alright?"

"I'll feel much better after a warm bath. Although this cold rain is said to be good for the skin."

Playing along, Talim replied, "While we're at it , we could take a mud bath as well. I heard it works wonders on the skin."

"I don't know Talim, my father is covered in so much mud, it looks like he hadn't bathe in months."

Raphael looked back over his shoulders and was about to say something when he noticed something. His eyes seemed fixated on the water that slid down Talim's skin and his eyes widened slightly before he flushed a deep red and held his rapier out to her. "Ta-Talim, please hold my sword for a minute."

"Hmm?" Talim him a questioning look before holding it. To her surprise, he took off his outer green coat/cape and told her to put it on. "Why?" Talim asked in a puzzled manner as she held on to his coat.

Raphael seemed determined to avoid her eyes as he said quietly, "Your pants... are very see through. And so is your top."

In embarrassment, Talim hastily put on the coat and choked out a grateful thank you. But then she asked nervously, "Did you see... anything?"

Raphael had to quickly banish the inappropriate images out of his mind to keep his voice straight when he denied it. Trying to change the subject, he complimented her on her pie.

"You ate my pie? Did, you like it?" Talim asked hesitantly.

"It was… the best key lime pie I've ever had the pleasure of eating," said Raphael honestly.

Amy coughed. "I think this may not be the best time to have a conversation."

Raphael quickly agreed. "Let's get going then. Hang on tight Talim." And Raphael kicked his stallion forward. Amy urged her mare forward as well and they thundered through with the soldiers running closely behind them.

General Sevika had also mounted his white warhorse and roaring out a loud battle cry, he whipped his horse forward and his loyal soldiers trailed after him as well.

The two armies met head on and clashed fiercely with each other in the wide and open town square. Holding the reins in one hand, Raphael fiercely began dueling with General Sevika. Sitting behind him, Talim swiped at the enemy soldiers to keep them from distracting Raphael. She did her best not to kill them but when one of her defeated opponent came back up and cut Raphael on the thigh, she knew that she cannot afford to let them live. She closed her eyes and slashed the man's throat and deep within her, she felt intense guilt and remorse at what she had done. "If I had a choice I would never… but."

"Don't get distracted Talim, stay focused!" yelled Amy as she kicked one of the soldiers in the jaw and pulled on the reins so that her horse stepped onto the fallen warrior and swiftly crushed his chest.

Talim nodded and continued protecting Raphael from the enemies with her double crescent blades.

Skillfully maneuvering his horse to the left, Raphael used the momentum to slash his opponent on the shoulders and was rewarded with a large red wound blossoming on General's Sevika shoulders. "Realize your place in this world!"

"And you don't belong in this world you monster!" retaliated the general. In anger, Raphael brought his sword down on the insolent man's head but Sevika swiftly held up his shield to block the attack and countered by kicking Raphael's horse.

His horse neighed loudly and backed away. Raphael yanked on the reins to regain control and stared at Sevika coldly. "Why do you fight, when you know you will lose?"

"Because I fight for my king, my country, and my family!" shouted Sevika as he charged forward and swung his sword down on Raphael's left arm. But he quickly feinted at the last moment and twisted the sword to Raphael's shoulders and smiled as the monster fell for it.

But a moon shape weapon guarded the attack from behind and Raphael quickly seized the opening to stab Sevika in the chest. A young girl peeked out from behind Raphael and she looked at him with remorseful eyes. "I'm sorry," she said sadly.

Sevika looked down at the rapier sticking in his chest and tried to say something but nothing came out except for the blood coming up his windpipe. His lungs were pierced and his breathing began to grow difficult with every passing second.

Staring at his defeated opponent, Raphael said quietly, "I fight for my family as well. But unlike you, I shall not fail." And Raphael pulled his Queen's Guard out of Sevika chest and watched as the fallen general fell down to the ground. His soldiers saw their leader fall and quickly dropped their weapons and ran for it.

Talim dropped down to the ground and walked over to the fallen general. She turned him over and cradled him in her arms. "This… is all I can do to ease your pain. I'm sorry." She closed her eyes and called on her powers to bring him the one person he wanted to see most.

Sevika's eyes widen as he saw his beautiful wife appear before his eyes beside the priestess. He weakly reached out for her. His wife looked at him with the same blue eyes he had love and remembered and she stroked his cheek comfortingly. "My husband, I'm here with you." Closing his eyes, Sevika left this world with a smile.

Raphael could see that she was deeply upset and he held his hand out toward her and said, "Talim, I'm here for you."

Talim reached out towards him and he pulled her up gently. After she was securely seated, Raphael gave the orders that the surviving enemies are to be captured and brought to his castle. His voice echoed in his minion's minds and they immediately began to chase after the escaping soldiers. As he maneuvered his horse through the corpses and destruction, he held her in his right arm. Resting his chin on her head, he said, "Thank you Talim."

Hearing those words, she let her body relax against Raphael's chest. She looked at the death around them and shed a silent tear. "Wind, please guide these poor souls on their journey towards their new life." The rain stopped and instead, soft white snow began to drift down around them. Burying her face against Raphael's neck, she cried. She would obtain Soul Calibur and rid them of this disease; so that something like this would never happen again.

Raphael knew that she had sacrificed something precious to her in this fight and it was all for his sake so he held her tightly. "I will never let you go again Talim," he thought. "And I will obtain Soul Calibur, so that you would never have to experience something like this ever again."

Amy rode behind them and watched the two different souls before her come to understand and appreciate their differences and grow to love each other. She smiled for her father and she had finally found their happiness. Amy felt that when her father and Talim had met on their journey, it was almost like the gods have planned it, for the sun and moon to meet and show each other their different beauty and light. But will their return to their journey of fate bring them closer together or break them apart? For now, she would just have to hope that the stars and gods have mercy and divine a happy future for them. She shook her head at the silly thought and laughed, "We shall cut our own paths and make our own future." Kicking her horse lightly, she rejoined her father and Talim's side.

* * *

><p>Darkwings13: When Raphael destroyed that shard of soul edge, it kinda reminded me of the time he destroyed Kilik's holy stone. Wow, this chapter sure was long! But I enjoyed writing it and I hoped that you guys liked it as well. This is basically the end of my story 'A Journey of Fate' but I shall be writing a sequel called 'The Return to a Destined Journey.' And I really need to start working on my other humor story 'Calibur World' so the sequel won't be up anytime soon. Sorry. But as a small parting gift, I shall add in a bonus chapter for this story. I thank those who have reviewed and favorited this story. To be honest, I wasn't expecting this many favs and reviews since I wrote about a pretty unlikely couple that most people in the world would probably think I'm crazy for even suggesting such an idea. So again, I thank you for coming all this way with me.<p> 


	19. Dressing, Dining, and Dancing

"Are you alright?" Talim looked down at an injured soldier and continued bandaging his arm. Inside the giant medical tent that had been set up in town, many of the injured were there to await treatment. The medical building was completely full so they had no choice but to set up two big tents in the town to make room. Talim was constantly running around changing bandages, comforting the dying and praying for them as well as simple tasks such as disinfectants. She was extremely grateful to Raphael for teaching her some basic first aid and she did her best to put it to good use.

While she helped with healing, he overlooked the reconstruction and made plans so that the people could return to their previous lives. The aftermath of the war was devastating but Talim was glad that at least it was short or else more people would have died. Wiping away the sweat and blood from her patient's forehead, she dropped the towel into the bucket of water and proceeded to head over to the next patient.

Unbeknownst to her, Raphael entered the tent and watched her quietly. A smile lit his face when he saw her gently talking to a soldier with a bleeding leg and happily began cleaning the wound. Being a rather cruel and cold man, most people never expected him to take an interest in medicine. His family also questioned it but he never told them that the reason he liked medicine was because he enjoyed learning about all the different sickness. The information was useful to life and he relished the thought of being able to fend off death with his skills in medicine. Being a doctor meant that you would have to be composed at all times and this suited his personality quite well. He didn't care about treating people; he cared more about developing his skills just for the selfishness of pride.

But Talim... He glanced over at her once more and looked at her lovingly. She would make a great assistant not only because she was a quick learner, but because she truly desires to help others. Walking over to her, he gave her a tap on the shoulders. "Talim, you've done enough for today. It's time to head back to the castle; Amy's waiting for us."

Standing up, Talim reluctantly nodded. "Alright then.

* * *

><p>As a tired Talim and Raphael entered the dining room, the eyes widened and their jaws dropped down at what greeted them inside. "Amy! What's going on?" said a dumbstruck Raphael.<p>

Amy grinned mischievously. For the past two weeks, her father had been overseeing the reconstruction of their towns and surrounding area while Talim went around and nursed the injured. They were due to leave on their journey in a few days and Amy thought it would be a good idea to rekindle the spark between them before they got out of her sight.

She knew for sure that her father had strong feelings for the priestess but she wasn't too sure about Talim though. The priestess was fond of her father for sure, and Amy believed that Talim might have stronger feelings for him than just friends but sge was a little innocent to really focus on those feelings so it would be wise to give her a little nudge. Answering her father's question, she said, "You guys have been working so hard lately that I thought it would be a good idea if you two enjoyed a relaxing and luxurious dinner together. You guys can talk and laugh,etc, say some romantic poems…" Amy whispered the last part quietly though.

Raphael looked at the flickering red candles on the table and the red roses Amy had placed all over the room and swallowed nervously. How she had managed to find red plates to match the theme, he shuddered to know. She had even dragged the grand piano into the room, in which a pianoist was playing one of Mozart's pieces even as they speak. A violinist beside the pianist played a soft tune on his violin and Raphael knew instantly what his daughter had done. She had set him up for a romantic dinner with Talim! His heart began racing and he shook his head.

"Don't spoil it father. I've worked really hard to prepare all of this. What do you say Talm?"

Talim laughed cheerfully and looked around the extraordinarily changed room. "Wow, everything's so different! Is this how European people eat when they want to relax?"

Raphael rubbed his temple and sighed. Talim was just as clueless as ever when it comes to these kinds of things. He couldn't possibly object and sadden the ecstatic girl who was wandering and smelling the roses. "Fine, you win this time Amy" he thought defeatedly.

Amy grinned at the defeated look on his face and said "You guys should go change before you eat. I've already picked out your outfit father. It's on your bed. Come on Talim, I'll help you get dressed myself." Taking the priestess hand, they headed toward Talim's room to change.

Walking up the stairs, Raphael wondered when his daughter had become so observant. Or were his feelings just too obvious? No matter, if he managed to survive this dinner without making a fool of himself, he would pray to Talim's wind for a month. Opening the doors to his bedroom, he stared at the outfit Amy had picked out for him. He considered changing into a different one but Amy would probably pull a prank on him in revenge, so he grudgingly began to undress.

* * *

><p>"Here, this would look great with your hair Talim," Amy said as she held up a long flowy pink silk dress for Talim to wear. It was strapless and it had a modest cleavage since Amy knew that her friend would feel uncomfortable about wearing anything too revealing. There was intricate stitching around the chest and the rest fell in soft thin layers until it became see through near the knees. Amy then held up a pair of coral colored high heels that was decorated with a pink rose in the front.<p>

"Ummm, but why do I have to be so dressed up? Isn't it suppose to a relaxing dinner?" winced Talim as the maid who was doing her hair twisted her hair into elaborate braids.

Amy shook her head. "This is a fancy and luxurious dinner Talim; very few people will ever to get experience this kind of thing I prepared for you. It's nothing out of the ordinary, but you wouldn't understand since you're not from Europe. So just listen and trust me alright?" Stepping back from Talim, Amy thought she would look better with some make-up. Clapping her hands, she summoned another maid to apply some expensive cosmetics on Talim. "I'll be right back Talim, I'll go check if my father is ready."

Talim couldn't answer since the maid was applying a delicate pink lipstick on her puckered lips so she merely watched as Amy left the room. What strange customs they have. But she had to admit that it was kind of fun as well.

* * *

><p>Raphael looked at himself in the mirror and grimaced. Everything in the dining room was red and now it looked like he was going to be a part of the décor as well. He was wearing dark brown and tight thigh high boots which did look pretty good on his long and well toned legs and bleach white pants; he couldn't really complain since he knew he looked pretty good in them. He turned around to check out his backside and nodded. It did look pretty good.<p>

As for the top, Amy had picked out a loose red shirt that opened with a deep V and ruffles were stitched around it. His sleeves were also stitched with ruffles and as he waved his arm around, the fabric fluttered smoothly through the air. He heard someone knocking on the door so he quickly moved away from the mirror and assumed a nonchalant stance. "Come in."

Amy walked in holding a big red rose bouquet tied with a ribbon and examined her father with a critical eye. "Hmmm, there's something missing. Hold this father."

Amy shoved the bouquet in his arms and left the room. Before Raphael can put the roses down, his daughter returned with a red ribbon. He shook his head furiously, holding the delicate flowers in one arm, he held his other arm straight out, as if to ward his daughter away from him. "No. Stay away Amy. No, no, no." But Amy merely walked slowly toward her father and held up the ribbon playfully. He took a few steps backward and his back hit his dresser. "You're not touching my hair."

"Relax father, this won't hurt at all." Pausing, she thought about what she said and grinned. "Well, it won't hurt physically." And Amy charged toward her father.

"Nooooo!"

* * *

><p>Talim whipped her head around and frowned. That was weird, she thought she heard Raphael scream. But then again, that was rather unlikely since Raphael never shows fear at anything so it must've been someone else. Ouch!<p>

"Miss, please hold still, I need to tighten your corset some more." And the maid pulled on the stays alittle tighter.

This was quite uncomfortable and Talim wondered how European women can stand such things. She was finding it difficult to breathe and when she thought it couldn't get any tighter, the maid gave a final yank and declared that it was perfect. "Now miss, would you like some help putting on your dress?"

* * *

><p>"See, I told you I improved. You should have more faith in your daughter." Holding up a small hand mirror for her father, she waited for him to open his eyes.<p>

Raphael opened his eyes slowly to see what kind of horror had his daughter bestow on himand… he gasped. It was actually normal! All she had done was tie his hair in a low ponytail. Thank goodness! Composing himself, he gave her a quick pat on the head and proceeded to walk out to dinner but Amy quickly blocked his path. "Where do you think you're going father?"

"To dinner?" He held up his hands in a 'what else do you want me to say' gesture.

Mentally smacking herself she decided that it was time to discuss the subject already. "Do you like Talim?"

"I- welll- I – she's great, very nice- umm-I- I. No, I mean yes. I mean, argh! I don't think she feels that way about me Amy." Raphael had given the matter a great deal of thought and he had decided that it was best if he just kept his feelings to himself. He would just leave things up to fate and hope that over time, Talim might come to love him. Looking at his daughter, he sighed. "Besides, I thought you would be against such an idea. So why?"

Amy shrugged." We're not human father. I have a strange suspect that we won't age normally, so the age difference thing doesn't really bother me and I've seen younger girls get married at this age. And she makes you happy. She makes me happy. What more can I ask?"

Raphael crossed his arm and thought about it. Talim had accepted him and Amy as her friends easily enough, but would the same thing apply if he asked her to be his… lady? What if she said no? What if-

"Father, snap out of it. The dinner is going to start soon. You'll make a bad impression if you show up late." Running over to fetch her bouquet, she gave it to Raphael and winked. "The rest is up to you, I'll fetch Talim. You just wait at the bottom of the stairs."

Raphael watched his daughter leave and sighed; Talim had definitely change him and his daughter quite dramatically. They were no longer as cold or indifferent as before but he wasn't sure if she would come to like him as someone that's more than a friend. He's been a man of charm all his life. Sure he hated to socialize and mingle in the past, but whenever he needed to find new allies for his family, the women were always his targets. They would convince their fathers or husbands to place their support with the Sorels in less than month. But why was it, that when he's with Talim, that those honeyed words are stuck in his throat? Where were those useless charms when he needed them most?

* * *

><p>Looking into the mirror, Talim could barely recognize herself. Half her hair was braided beautifully on top of her head in intricate shapes while the rest fell down in silky black curls behind her back and a pink feather hairpiece was deftly placed on the side of her head. Amy let her borrow a lovely diamond necklace along with some silk white gloves that reached her elbows. The dress fitted perfectly and Talim turned this way and that to admire the rustle of the pink silk. Her lips were a pale pink and her eyelashes were black and long. She had never felt so beautiful in her life. If only the high heels weren't so high; she wasn't used to wearing such uncomfortable footwear.<p>

Amy watched her friend and smiled. If she was this surprised, imagine the look on her father's face when he sees Talim. "Come on Talim, dinner's ready. We should get going before my father dies from hunger."

"Okay, I'm coming." Lifting up her dress, she wobbled over to Amy and the two proceeded to dinner.

* * *

><p>As Raphael walked back and forth on the bottom of the stairs, he began rehearsing what he was going to say when Talim appeared. First, he would compliment her hair since all women like to that first. Then he would compliment her dress. And then he would compliment her shoes. And then he would compliment her… Is that her? His eyes widened in astonishment at the girl standing on top of the stairs. The light from his candle chandelier seemed to burn alittle brighter to illuminate the beauty standing beneath its light. In the back of his head, he could swear he heard a choir of angels singing in the background. As Talim stepped down the red carpet laid down on his stairs, he thought she was the most marvellous thing his eyes had ever seen. That was until she sorta tripped on the last step, banged into him and smacked him in the eyes with her head. He caught a " I'm sorry! It's the heels!" before they tumbled to the ground.<p>

Amy watched from the top of the stair and rubbed her temples. "Why oh why…"

Getting off the groaning Raphael, she stumbled back and repeated, "Sorry, sorry, sorry, are you alright? Sorry, sorry, sorry."

"That alright, no harm done," said Raphael as he got back up. With his eyes still closed from the pain, he accidently stepped on Talim's dress and the two tumbled to the floor again, just as ungraceful as before.

Running down the steps, Amy helped them untangle each other and smoothed their rumpled clothes. As she straightened her father's shirt, she whispered, "Can you handle this without me for at least a few hours."

He nodded and rubbed his eyes tiredly.

"Here, give this to her." And Amy thrust the crushed and rather messed up roses in his arms. "I'm going to go read now guys, enjoy!" And she ran off to leave Raphael to fend for himself.

Talim waved. "Bye Amy, see you later." Turning back toward Raphael she murmured another, "Sorry."

All the words that Raphael had been practicing flew out of his head as he looked into the priestess's chocolate eyes. "This is for you Talim," And he gave her the roses in a daze.

She brought them up to her face and inhaled the scent. "Thank you. I'm sure they've must looked better before I fell but they still smell wonderful. But why are you giving me roses?"

His mind went blank as he tried to find an answer to her question. So he said the first thing that popped into his mind."You have beautiful teeth Talim." As the words popped out of his mouths he mentally slapped himself. What the hell did he say her teeth! There was a million other things to say and he chose to say that! Raphael you're so stupid! And he mentally slapped himself some more.

"Ummm, thank you?" Not knowing what else to say, she suggested that they head to dinner.

"Yes, of course. You must be hungry Talim, let's go." And he offered her his arm. Talim looked at him with a confused expression. "It's common courtesy for the gentleman to escort the lady," explained Raphael.

"Oh, okay." And Talim hooked her arm into his.

As they walked to the dining room, Raphael heart thumped nervously in his chest. He was trying to wrack his brain for something to say but nothing came to mind. Talim noticed how red Raphael was turning and she commented on it. "Raphael, are you alright? You look rather red."

"It's just alittle warm Talim, I'm fine. But might I say that dress looks wonderful on you." Yes, he finally said something right. He smiled inwardly at his success and waited for Talim's reply.

Talim blushed and thanked him for the kind compliment. As they reached the dining room, he pulled out her chair for personally and as they sat down, the servants brought in their meals and promptly left. (They've been ordered to leave the two alone.) The pianist and violinist began playing and the music calmed his rapid heartbeats.

The bright moon shined in the sky and new red curtains hanged elegantly on the window. As Raphael reached for a spoon to begin eating his Pistou Soup, he noticed a piece of paper neatly folded under his plate. It must be from Amy... But how was he going to read it without Talim noticing? Calculating his options, he finally picked the one that seemed must likely to succeed. "Talim look! It's a puppy!"

"Huh?" Talim turned to look at the spot Raphael was pointing at and said, "I don't see anything."

He swiftly snatched the paper from under the plate and read it quickly.

Dear father,

Read this romantic love poem to Talim. If you don't, Bobby will tell me.

Love Amy.

Raphael turned to look at the pianist who was watching him. The pianist noticed that Raphael had noticed and he gave the master a quick grin and resumed playing.

By now, Talim had turned her attention away from the imaginary puppy. "I think you must have imagined it Raphael, I don't see anything."

Raphael nodded and gave a quick glance at the second piece of paper containing Amy's so called love poem. Returning back to the issue at hand, Raphael tried his back up option. "Look! It's a kitty!"

Innocent as always, Talim turned to look for the imaginary kitty and Raphael quickly scanned the poem.

Roses are red

Violets are blue

My feelings are new

Ever since I love you

I've never felt this way before

But it strikes me to the core

That I love you

What kind of poem is this! There was no way he was going to read this! As if the pianist could read his thoughts, he played the 'you're in trouble song'. Dad da dum…

Raphael was about to glare at Bobby threateningly but Talim's voice interrupted that thought. "I don't see any kitty Raphael, are you sure you saw one?"

He quickly straightened up and smiled at her. "My mistake, it must be the light. Let's start eating before the food gets cold."

Talim nodded and began sipping her soup. While spooning his soup in his mouth, he admired Talim from the corner of his eyes. The light from the red candles made her skin glow a soft bronze color and he loved the way she tucked her hair away from her face. Such delicate hands. Such lovely eyes. Such pain…?

Raphael had been so distracted by Talim's beauty that instead of spooning the soup into his mouth, he had poured it down on himself. "Argh!"

"Oh my! Are you okay Raphael!" cried Talim as she got up with a table cloth and ran over to him. Too bad she stumbled in her high heels and knocked his bowl of soup over him.

"Ahhh!" And Raphael quickly began wiping the hot soup off an inappropiate area. He ran off to administer to his burns and change into some new pants. "I'll be right back Talim! Just sit there and wait for me!"

As Talim finished her soup, the next course was brought out; a well done steak with some vegetables on the side. She looked at it and groaned. The smell was delicious, but with the tight corset squeezing the life out of her, she barely had any room in her stomach to enjoy such delicious food.

"Talim, I'm back" said the returning lord, who was wearing the same outfit as before, but instead, the white pants were exchanged for black ones.

"Raphael, I'm so sorry. I've caused you so much trouble this evening. I'm really sorry."

He waved the matter off as if it was something silly and said, "Those little accidents will soon be replaced by fonder memories we will have tonight. (I hope.) Here, lets continue eating and pretend nothing happened alright?"

Talim smiled and began to cut her steak in small dainty pieces. Raphael also began slicing up his medium rare steak and as he put the first piece into his mouth, he nodded in approval at the quality of the meat. This continued on for awhile with occasional talks between him and Talim and he was beginning to think that their evening was starting to get better. That was until Talim fainted.

"Talim! What's wrong!" cried Raphael as he leapt out of his chair and ran to her. He could tell that she was having hard time breathing and he knew that in such situation, he should give her CPR. "I'm not doing anything wrong; I'm just trying to revive her." But the thought that their lips would have to touch made the butterflies in his stomach go into hyper mode. No, there's no other way, I must do this. Picking her up, he was about to heroically restore her with CPR when she whispered something. "The… corset. It's too tight. Can't breathe."

His face flushed red and he called for a maid. The maid rushed in bowed. "What can I do for you my lord?"

"Umm... Talim's corset. It's too tight. Would you mind loosening it?" Raphael said embarrassingly.

"At once my lord. Would you prefer to stay here and watch or would you like to wait outside?"

"I'll wait outside of course." Closing the doors he waited outside patiently. Suddenly, Amy came up behind him and pinched him. "Ouch! Amy! What was that for?"

"From what Bobby told me, this dinner is going horribly wrong!" Crossing her arms, she gave him the 'what the heck we're you doing' look.

He groaned in exasperation. "This was a terrible idea Amy! I quit!"

Amy placed her foot down, literally, on Raphael's foot and said, "No. You will read my poem to Talim and then you two are going to go dance together in the ballroom. There's still hope in rescuing this disaster and I won't accept defeat that easily father. Now get in there and say that love poem!" And she shoved Raphael through the doors.

"Ahh! I'm not done changing!" Talim screamed as she ducked beneath the dining table. The truth was, the only thing she was not done was zipping up the zipper behind her back so Raphael really didn't see anything.

The maid came up with the perfect reply for that moment. "My lord, I did ask you if you wanted to stay or leave."

"Ahhh! This is so not amusing!" And he rushed out. As her father ran past her, Amy banged her head on the door over and over and over.

* * *

><p>As Talim sat on her bed and looked out the window, she sighed. This was one of the weirdest and most embarrassing day night of her life. She knew that Raphael had tried his best to make this a wonderful night but somehow, things just kept getting in the way. Wind, what should she do? Talim suddenly remembered Amy telling her that she had planned for Raphael and Talim to dance together in the ballroom. Even though, it was rather late, she supposed there was still some time left for them to dance together for a while.

Getting out of bed in her white night dress, she made her way around the castle to look for the elusive vampire.

Meanwhile, Raphael was sitting in his study, trying to forget about the evening when he heard a knock on the door. "I don't want to talk about it Amy."

But the knocks continued and until Raphael finally had enough and he opened the door. To his surprise, Talim was standing right before him. "Talim! What are you doing here?"

"I was wondering, if you would… mind dancing with me. Amy had decorated the ballroom and it would be a shame if all of her efforts were wasted." After a moment's thought, she added, "Oh and Bobby's waiting inside to play the music. We have time for at least once dance before the sun rises. So, would you like to dance Raphael?"

He merely offered her his arm and grinned. "Well then, let us dance."

Even though Talim was wearing her plain white night dress, Raphael thought she still looked as pretty as earlier this evening. The candles on the chandeliers above shone a soft bronze color and outside, the sky was still a light shade of blue with splashes of violet and red. The marble floor was polished and the curtains were a pale yellow. They walked into the middle of the ballroom and Raphael gestured for Bobby to start playing on the white piano. He bowed low and offered Talim his hand.

_Every part in my heart I'm giving out__  
><em>_Every song on my lips I'm singing out__  
><em>_Any fear in my soul I'm letting go__  
><em>_And anyone who ask I'll let them know_

Talim looked into his eyes and slowly placed her hand in his. She put her right arm on his shoulders and he wrapped his left arm around her waist. Slowly, they began to take small steps and dance.

_She's_ the_ one, she's the one__  
><em>_I say it loud__  
><em>_She's the one, she's the one__  
><em>_I say it proud_

As they twirled around on the dance floor, he let his heart direct his steps and Talim followed him with a soft smile. He gently spun her to the right and they drifted elegantly apart, but sill connected with their hands holding on to each other.

_Ring a bell, Ring a bell__  
><em>_For the whole crowd__  
><em>_Ring a bell, Ring a bell_

_I'm telling the world__  
><em>_That I've found a girl__  
><em>_The one I can live for__  
><em>_The one who deserves_

Taking her back into his arms, he held her there for a minute and they smoothly resumed their initial position again. As he put his arm around her waist again, he saw the cheerful smile and he asked, "Are you enjoying yourself, Talim?"

She nodded as they swayed to the music. "But maybe I should've worn those high heels, you're so tall Raphael." It was true, the top of her head only made it to his shoulders, but she liked the fact that he was the one that was always looking at her while they danced.

_Every part in my heart I'm giving out__  
><em>_Every song on my lips I'm singing out__  
><em>_Any fear in my soul I'm letting go__  
><em>_And anyone who ask I'll let them know__  
><em>

"You're perfect the way you are. In fact, I'll tell you alittle something. I prefer graceful women to tall women any day." Stepping to the right, he bent her backwards and held her there for a moment. Talim's soft pink lips parted in surprise and she looked away shyly.

_She's the one, she's the one__  
><em>_I say it loud__  
><em>_She's the one, she's the one__  
><em>_I say it proud_

As he brought her back up, they gazed into each other eyes. One's a warm chocolate brown, while the other is lovely vermillion red. One has gleaming golden blonde hair while the other has ebony locks. He held her still against him and both took the time to admire each other.

_Ring a bell, Ring a bell__  
><em>_For the whole crowd__  
><em>_Ring a bell, Ring a bell_

_I'm telling the world__  
><em>_That I've found a girl_

"Talim, you're very beautiful," said Raphael. He had said the same thing to many women before, but this time it was different. It was real. It was for the one he wanted to spend the rest of his life with. The one he can live for.

_The one I can live for__  
><em>_The one who deserves__  
><em>_To give all my heart__  
><em>_A reason to fly__  
><em>_The one I can live for__  
><em>_A reason for life_

Talim did not know why she did it, she leaned in alittle closer and looked up at him with a warm smile. "You're very handsome as well Raphael. But what I really admire about you is that you're strong and I believe that deep inside, you're a nice person. It's because of certain circumstances that made you close your heart off." She added softly, "To me, you're very special Raphael."

Hearing those words from her lips, he felt the strangest but most wonderful feeling flow through him and he felt his lips curve upward into a dazzling smile.

I'm telling the world  
>That I've found a girl<br>The one I can live for  
>The one who deserves<br>To give all my heart  
>A reason to fly<br>The one I can live for  
>A reason for life<p>

They were so close that he could feel her heart beat against his chest. He slowly ran a hand through her soft black hair and stared into her warm eyes. "And it's because of you, that my heart is slowly starting to open again," he whispered. "You're very special to me as well." He hesitated for a moment before placing a hand under her chin and slowly tilting her head up.

Talim felt her heart pound as she realized what he was doing when he slowly bent his head down. But she did not know whether she should move and push him away. As she placed her hands on his chest to stop him, she immediately froze when he whispered, "I love you... Talim."

Raphael leaned in to press his lips against hers. Her lips were soft and they tasted so sweet. He wrapped both of his arms around her and held her tightly as one of his hands slid down to her slim waist.

At first, Talim did not know how to react. This was her first time kissing anyone and it made her afraid. But Raphael was gentle and he let her get used to it before trying anything else. Their lips were merely touching together and it was the perfect definition of a chaste kiss. As her fear melted away, she looked at him closely. His eyes were closed and he looked perfectly happy and content with her in his arms. And when she thought about what he said, she felt her body grow warm. After all this time... she had come to love him as well. Closing her eyes, she slowly responded by pressing her lips against his a little tighter. Her hand was entwined in his hair and she hesitantly opened her mouth.

Taking that as an invitation, Raphael began to kiss her alittle more deeply and he pressed his head down on tops of hers. In return, Talim wrapped her arms around him and made a small pleasured sound when he rubbed her back. They were so absorbed in each other, they didn't notice the pianist falling asleep on the piano and the sun beginning to rise out of the sky. Raphael did not want to let go. Even though the sun was up, he never felt so alive. But eventually, they pulled away to breathe. Talim was still pressed against his chest and his arms were still around her though.

The two looked at each other and knew that they needed no words to communicate what they were feeling. Resting her head against Raphael's chest, she closed her eyes contently. "I... love you too, Raphael."

He smiled and hugged her. "We'll always be together..."

Together,they looked out at the new dawn and their new beginning.

* * *

><p>Darkwings13: The song is "Telling the World by Taio Cruz". I thought it matched perfectly so I would highly recommend reading the dance part over again with this song playing. I hope you guys like my bonus chapter. The story is officially over. But don't be sad, I shall be writing the sequel "The Return to a Destined Journey" sometimes in the future.<p> 


	20. The Prelude to Sadness

_The next story in the Fate and Destiny Series...Returning to a Destined Journey_

_Preview..._

* * *

><p>After two hours of searching, he was beginning to become really agitated. "I'll tear down this entire castle if that's what it takes to find her," he thought with firm determination. He finally decided to head toward the east wing on the second floor. Walking up a set of old stairs, his eyes widened as he saw Talim. She was looking out the window at the end of the hallway and the light of the candles attached to the walls above her reflected off her dark green hair. From what he could see, that was the only thing that changed. She still looked the same to him and he walked forward excitedly. "Talim! You're alright!"<p>

Talim turned and looked at the blonde man with a surprised look in her eyes. "Who are you? How do you know my name?"

He stopped short and a cold fear thrummed in his veins. He gave a short laugh to try and reassure himself."What are you talking about Talim? It's me my love. Are you angry that I took so long to find you? Forgive me ma petite." He paused for a moment before adding, "But don't worry. Now that we're together, I promise I won't let anything part us again." He looked at her regretfully before saying, "I should have never left you back at that town. I... I should have realized that there was something you were hiding from me."

Talim shook her head slowly and said, "I don't understand what you're talking about sir. I don't know who you are."

Raphael lips quivered slightly as he realized that she truly did not recognize him. His feet began moving slowly toward her and he held one hand out to her. "Talim… It's me. Raphael. Don't you remember? You and Amy are the most precious things in my life. You're my dearest…"

Evil energy cloaked his entire body and Talim took a few steps back. But the raw anguish on his face made her hesitate in backing up any further and she gazed into his cardinal red eyes. "Wind, what should I do?" Talim asked quietly. But no breeze stirred and Talim received no answer.

Raphael stopped in front of her and he continued holding out his hand. "Would you reject me Talim? Would you forget me? After all we've been through?" he asked quietly.

Talim stared at the pale hand that was reaching out for her and her heart gave a small thump. Was her previous self really in love with this man? But those feelings were gone now; her heart felt nothing but pity for this stranger standing in front of her. Therefore, it wasn't love that motivated her to put her warm hand into his. It was merely compassion and a desire to help him feel better.

But his lips curled upward into a dazzling smile and he held her hand tightly in his. As though he was afraid she would disappear. But Talim could only shake her head and reply in sad tone of voice. "I'm sorry. I don't remember you at all. Raphael…"

Raphael stared at her while the smile faded from his face. For the first time in his life, he felt his eyes beginning to tear up. Never, had he shed a single tear at any sadness or misfortune that came his way. Tears were a sign of weakness. He looked down at anyone that was unable to control their emotions. But no matter how hard he tried, a single tear slipped down his cheeks.

Talim watched the pure drop of water trail down his pale cheeks and she suddenly felt an intense sadness coursing through her as well. Was it simply because of her kind nature? Or was it something else? "I'm sorry…"

"Why? Why does this have to happen to us?" Raphael leaned forward and slowly embraced her and the tears he was trying to hold back cascaded down his cheeks into her dark emerald tresses.

Talim let him hug her because that was the only comfort she could offer. And Raphael knew that even though he held her in his arms, he no longer held her heart. This knowledge only deepened the pain and he let out a harsh laugh. "Fate… is certainly a fickle mistress."

Talim closed her eyes and continued letting her arms hang uselessly by her side. "Perhaps we were never destined to be together…"


End file.
